Diversification
by Sixth Night
Summary: The Planet has changed, but that won't stop Reno. It began with a bullet meant for Rude. The attacks are coming faster, and much hangs on a string of redemption. Is Reno a hero, or a pawn?
1. Diversification

'_What a day… what a day.' _

Bunched fingers were shoved deep within the confines of the pockets belonging to a pair of black slacks sized a little larger than necessary. Things had gotten a little more than confusing as of late, and despite popular belief, he wasn't ignorant to the fact. Things were strangely comfortable when AVALANCHE and the Turks nearly worked as allies. It didn't stop there. Suddenly, Shin-Ra was rebuilt. Suddenly, they were aligning with the World Restoration Organization in which Reeve had poured his entire being. Almost instantaneously, Edge was looking more and more like a metropolis. Definitely a change.

'_What a day? What a year, is more like it.' _

Shoulders hunched lightly, sending fiery red strands slipping from the perch on his shoulders to streak down the center of his back. Turquoise depths peered forward from pallid features, studying nothing in particular, yet finding interest in the cracks of the cement sidewalk as he avoided stepping on said cracks. His mind was studying the events, making sense of this and that. Did Rufus decide upon the ventures of alignment to benefit himself in this new found purpose? The Turks were still around, but less useful than in the 'glory days.' They'd more or less become body guards aiding in Rufus' new purpose. Just today they were told a new person was to be joining them. Four was a nice number, but five?

'_Man… what's Rufus thinking?' _

He'd know by tomorrow morning. For now, Reno was set on drowning the issues in a bottle of liquor. A few blocks later, fingers encircled the steel handle that controlled the barrier between him and that liquor he was after. He practically haunted the Seventh Heaven Bar. With things relatively peaceful, it didn't take long for him to grow on certain inhabitants. He had been help, and had even tried to save a couple kids in the process, Tifa appreciated this. Aside from Tifa, Cloud also had a slight appreciation, though he'd never let Reno on to that fact. The rest of their group just managed to tolerate his _charming _presence.

Lanky form slid through the door as he pulled it away, surveying the scene upon arrival. Tifa was at the counter, wiping tirelessly at old stains. Cloud apparently was out on delivery, since he was no where to be seen. Such was the usual case whenever he came around. He strolled over to a stool near Tifa, settling himself with elbows perched against the counter top.

"Reno!" A little voice piped up from beside him, causing a sidelong glance. Marlene was bouncing over to him, and he didn't mind. She had taken a liking to him, at first much to her family's dismay. Now he was a part of her afternoons and she was always happy to chat him up. Tifa had noticed Marlene's exclamation, and had come over as well.

"Hey kid." He was usually excited to see her as well, but today he felt indifferent. Marlene wasn't satisfied with his reply, and concern shone in her bright eyes.

"What's wrong, Reno?" Came her childish tone.

"Yeah, Reno, what's wrong?" Tifa brought herself into the conversation. Reno chuckled, watching as Marlene mimicked Tifa's stance with her hands upon tilted hips.

"Nothing's wrong, ladies." Reno donned a grin to further his explanation. Marlene seemed to believe him since she grabbed a cookie and bounced back up the stairs after giving him a quick hug. Tifa, on the other hand, was less than convinced.

"Reno… are you really okay?" She asked, grabbing a glass from beneath the counter and setting it a few inches from the edge. She grabbed the ingredients to throw together the strong version of his usual drink.

"Of course. Just… y'know, I'm annoyed I guess." He confessed, watching while she mixed together the various sorts of alcohol.

"Annoyed? About what?" Once she had finished mixing his drink, she slid it the small distance it needed to travel to be within his reach.

"Tif, it's business." The drink was lifted from the counter, a healthy amount downed quickly.

Business usually meant she couldn't know and he wouldn't tell her. He received a glare and a huff, before she was off to tend to some of the other customers. Turquoise rolled heavenward as he noticed her annoyance, she always got that way when he shut her out. He figured it had something to do with that habit she carried of always being everyone's confidant.

To his left, he couldn't help but overhear the conversation being had between to older men. Their gruff appearance said enough, but their words really didn't help. "Yeah, what a face… I mean, look at that rack though." One of the men mumbled. The other laughed at the comment.

"Or lack there-of. Have you seen 'er before?" The beer bellied companion questioned.

"Nope. She's been here all afternoon on that damned laptop typing away. Probably one'a them business women with a stick up 'er ass." The balding man commented.

Reno felt annoyed by their presence, but compelled to find out who they were talking about. He kept his drink in his left hand, one foot pushing against the bar to turn himself toward the rest of the room. He searched for a laptop, and found one nestled atop the table in the corner. Turquoise rested upon the woman behind the laptop, her fingers beneath her chin and a strange expression on her face.

For a moment, blue eyes flickered up in his direction from behind the thin frame of glasses, but she paid him no mind. Thereafter, she looked as though she'd come upon a revelation, hands jumping back to the keyboard and returning to her project. Her head tilted down for a better view of the small screen, sending auburn lengths to dance loosely around pale features.

She seemed a little on the plain side, but Reno could imagine what the men beside him were thinking. She had a very pretty face, but who could tell what she might look like beneath the heavy fabric of the pant suit she wore. She wasn't quite as endowed as a certain other woman in the bar. He didn't want to hear what the men would say about Tifa.

A set of tugs came against the back of his head, sending him whirling around to face the guilty dark haired woman who had pulled his ponytail. He nearly spilled his drink in the midst of his startled turn, but managed to set it safely on the counter. She had already begun giggling at him, and he gave her a look that said enough. _'Crazy woman.' _

"What were you daydreaming about?" She settled her composure, staring at him with interest.

"What?" He really didn't know what she meant.

"You were staring." _'What do you mean, what?' _

"Was I?" _'Maybe I was…' _

"You were. It's nothing new, though. Everyone's been trying to figure out who she is." Tifa paused thoughtfully, "Even Cloud got curious when he was in for lunch."

"Who brings work to a bar?" Reno gave a legendary smirk.

"Be nice." Tifa chided. "I'm surprised you haven't hit on her yet."

"Hey, hey! And here you are telling me to be nice…" Reno trailed off, shaking his head and laughing. "What makes you think I—"

"Shh." Tifa interrupted him, and his mouth hung open awkwardly. _'That was rude.'_ He noticed the familiar smile she used with customers slip over pastel lips and he turned to follow the path of her gaze.

The click of heels resounded against the flooring, the tweed fabric loosely swishing about her ankles. _'If it isn't miss workaholic.'_ She was between him and the next stool in seconds, placing the glass she had used on the counter with her free hand, the other hand busy holding a black leather briefcase.

"Thank you, Miss Lockhart. I appreciate your hospitality." She nodded politely, slender fingers now free of the glass and traveling upward to tuck strands of auburn behind a dainty ear. Reno noticed the glint of several small earrings from the bottom of her lobe and four studs high. One particular diamond stood in the delicate portion in the cartilage at the tip-top of her ear. _'Maybe… not so workaholic.' _His thoughts halted as she turned a quick glance toward him, "Reno." Another nod, this time in his direction.

With that, she turned upon her heels and headed in the direction of the door. Reno sat with a baffled look, watching as she exited the bar into the evening. _'What the hell..?' _He looked at Tifa who had an equally curious expression displayed across her face. Tifa returned his look of astonishment.

"You know her?" She questioned.

"No, but apparently she knows me." He shrugged his shoulders.

"One of those women you forgot all about?" Tifa's expression became almost sisterly, as if she were about to scold him for his past.

"Huh… I don't think so. She's not my type."

"Right." She shrugged and slipped away to refill some of the drinks the other patrons had finished. He watched her with little interest, easily distracted when the door opened. A certain blonde had finally returned, and his eyes followed him while he wound through the crowd to the side of the bar near the staircase leading up to the apartment. Tifa had taken care of the customers by now and met Cloud at the staircase with a faint kiss on the cheek.

Cloud smiled but appeared more interested in the disappearance of the woman. He was always suspicious of new people, a quirk he held. Reno could hear him mention that he noticed she left, listening as Tifa explained that she had been very polite and seemed to know a certain redhead.

"She was here for a long time… then she just thanked me, acknowledged Reno and left." Tifa explained.

"I wonder who she is. Why would she know Reno?" Cloud replied.

"You know how he is." The comment left Tifa giggling and Cloud mildly amused.

'_Sure… laugh about it. Geez.'_ He slapped the gil down on the counter and left the stool, wandering through the crowd and back to the door. The liquor just wasn't helping at all, and with more on his mind than before, he just wanted to go home.

His hands were back in his pockets while he headed for the apartment he called home. His mind was still on the situation, and he scolded himself for letting so much of that show. This pouting and thinking wasn't his normal behaviour. Maybe once Rufus announced his little plan tomorrow, he could go back to normal.

'_I hope so.'_

_----_

A screaming alarm clock broke the heavy silence that rested over the dark room. The form tangled beneath the sheets rolled in the direction of the nightstand, one hand reaching from beneath the covers in attempt to stop the incessant noise. Fingers brushed the face of the clock, sending it further back. Another try resulted in the same. Finally, he pushed his entire body into it and the last reach sent him tumbling from the bed in a jumble of blankets.

Both hands thudded hard against the carpet in order to keep from face-planting into the floor. A rather frustrated growl emitted from thin lips, while he worked to disengage from the blankets. Upon freeing himself, he brought a fist down upon the alarm clock, managing to hit the correct button and end the annoying sound. A moment was spent on the floor, gathering his composure. He didn't usually wake up this early, but he felt the sudden desire to be on time today.

The lankiness that was Reno finally rose from the floor and blankets to shuffle into the bathroom. He paused a moment, peering into the mirror at the disheveled mess of red atop his head. He always felt naked without his goggles. Though he'd risen earlier than usual, he still didn't manage to leave himself any time to shower. Not that it mattered; he usually did that each evening. The 'uniform' he'd hung on the hook the night before was quickly applied to his body. Hands went about fixing his mane into a manageable ponytail, goggles placed in their usual manner.

'_Stud…'_ He gawked at himself in the mirror before sauntering back into the bedroom. At least his cocky nature had returned since yesterday. Shoes and socks were on in minutes and he hurried out the door without a thought about breakfast. He was living just a short distance from the monstrosity that was the W.R.O/Shin-Ra building. His pace was brisk as he made it down the deserted sidewalks, watching as the sun began to peek over the horizon at the late hour of six-o-clock in the morning.

He entered the glass doors, flashing a grin to the familiar staff that stood watch. They didn't take much interest in showering him with the normal attention they gave those who entered; there wasn't much need to send him through the metal detector. He greeted the receptionists as he passed the front desk, easing past another security point to the elevators. He'd no sooner pressed the button displaying the up arrow, when the ding resounded overhead. The heavy doors parted and he found himself within the elevator.

As he turned, he noticed a familiar face. Rude looked almost in shock when he saw Reno in the elevator at this hour. Usually it was damn near seven-o-clock by the time he showed his face. Rude entered the elevator alongside Reno, and nodded toward him in his usual silent manner.

"I saw that look." Reno threw out the accusation as he pressed the '60' button.

"You're early." Rude stated simply.

"You heard Rufus yesterday. I have no idea what's going on and I wanted to find out."

"I know what you mean."

The brief conversation ended as the elevator reached the proper floor in a hurry. The doors parted once more and the two exited, approaching the waiting area where Rufus' assistant waited. She greeted them both, and they merely nodded.

"Rufus will be in momentarily." She always had that nervous tone of voice. Reno was cocky enough to think this was because she had a crush on him.

Elena and Tseng were over in the corner visiting quietly when they caught sight of Reno. Elena looked like she was nearing an emotional outburst when she blurted out how proud she was of Reno for being early. _'Is it that big a deal?' _Tseng must have been in a mood, because he barely acknowledged his partners.

They remained in place for a small amount of time before the ding of the elevator resounded. All four sets of eyes landed on the parting doors as Rufus stepped out. Reno didn't expect that the person following would be a woman, nor did he expect _who_ she was. _'Oh god… it's her.'_

Eyes went wide as he looked over the auburn haired woman from the bar. She appeared different this morning. She wore dark eye shadow, resulting in a sultry but subtle beauty. Her lips were glossed, appearing more plush and inviting than the pale form they had yesterday. The white of the tailored dress shirt stopped at a crucial point in the neckline, left open and teasing, though not revealing too very much. Below the bottom hem of the shirt, his eyes wandered to the form fitting pencil skirt that hugged her hips, flowing to a point just below her knees. Slender calves were hidden beneath the sheer of nude nylon, topped off by a racy pair of black stilettos.

'_Is this really the same woman?' _

His eyes immediately darted to her ear as he'd seen it the previous evening, and there were the stud earrings left visible by upswept hair. He also noted the thin black glasses perched atop the bridge of her nose. She was definitely the woman from Seventh Heaven. It certainly explained why she knew who he was, she'd likely seen a photograph and had a summary from Rufus. Turquoise managed to be pried from this new woman, scanning over Elena and Tseng, then over to Rude. None of them seemed too interested in her other than obvious curiosity about who she was. Then again, Rude and Tseng were both interested in other women.

'_Quit thinking about sex.'_

He reprimanded himself, waiting eagerly for the explanation that would come from Rufus. The woman followed Rufus into his office, and the four abandoned the small landing to follow their boss. Once they'd gathered in the office, Rufus took a seat at the mahogany desk, while the mystery woman stood to the left of him.

"Thanks for being here on time." His pointed statement was enhanced by the look of surprise he gave to Reno. Reno ignored the subtext and distracted himself with fidgeting fingers. "I have someone to introduce to you, as promised. I'd like you to meet Ava; she'll be working with us now."

The small group gave response to Ava and she returned the greeting. Reno watched as she shifted her weight, causing her hips to tilt opposite from the stance they had assumed. His train of thought broke when Rufus resumed his speech.

"She's come a ways to be here, and she'll be helping out with a lot of the technical issues we deal with. She'll also be doubling with Reeve, dealing with architectural design. Which reminds me; Ava, would you mind paying Reeve a visit? He had a few things he wanted to go over with you." Ava simply nodded to Rufus, slipping past the others and exiting his office.

"Smooth." Reno quipped.

"I wasn't sending her away to discuss her position with you; I just wanted to introduce her to you before she went to Reeve. Whatever he needs, I'm fairly certain it will take some time." Rufus looked rather annoyed with Reno's quick wit. He stood from his chair and approached the group. "Is there anything you'd like to know, or discuss?"

Elena was the first to cut in, thanking Rufus for bringing Ava on. Being the female, she also noticed the difference in attire. "I noticed that she wasn't in the usual uniform."

"She's not quite going to be doing the same thing that all of you do. She'll be mostly working out of the office, and her expertise lie in technical aspects as well as computers. If we need to do any investigating that might involve those subjects, she'll be cutting in. She's quite good, and she will also be working with overseeing some of the subsidiary companies, keeping track of what they're up to. Aside from that, she's on with Reeve, helping design and plan some of the restoration projects. So I suppose I shouldn't have made it seem as though you'd have a partner in her. Though, you will be coming into contact with her often. She has many responsibilities to tend to." Rufus finished his long explanation of Ava's duties and Elena responded with an excited attitude. She was likely glad to have another female in close contact.

Rude had nothing to say about the situation, and Tseng merely mentioned that it was a nice idea for Rufus to bring someone in who could complete the tasks of two, rather than actually bringing on two new faces. Reno, however, was still wrapping his mind around the interesting information he'd just received. It seemed that being a body guard was out of the question for Ava. Though, she was close to Elena in the matter of shape and height. It seemed she'd be more help in aiding Rufus' self-appointed mission to restore the world's vitality.

Though he had a lot to say about this, nothing really came about. Rufus had dismissed them to tend to their other duties, and they went about the necessary until noon rolled around.

Reno felt starved, and quickly headed for the recreational floor of the building. He had just gotten to the lunch area when he noticed Elena already chatting up Ava. They seemed to be well involved in their conversation, so he ignored them and went about ordering lunch.

He took a seat next to Rude and began picking at his plate, watching Rude finish his lunch.

"What do you think of her?" Reno asked.

"Who?"

"Ava! Geez, who else?" _'That was a little loud.' _He quickly glanced over to be sure that the women were still involved in their conversation, and was glad Ava hadn't heard his gossip.

"Oh. She's nice. I'm sure Rufus knows what he is doing."

"Yeah but…" He searched for a reason that would render Ava wrong for the job, but found nothing. "Well, I guess you're right." _'Wait…what?'_ "Can she even fight? She looks like a doll."

"I don't know. She must be qualified. I don't think Rufus wants her around for that, though."

'_You and you're short sentences.'_ "Maybe." Reno waved his hand dismissively, going back to his lunch.

Rude had already finished, and waited patiently for Reno. Originally he had an appetite, but now he seemed rather full after making it through half of the meal.

"Hey Rude?" He started the conversation again.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think this might mean Tseng will retire soon?"

"I have no idea." Rude replied_. 'Speak of the devil…' _Reno grinned as Tseng approached their table.

"No. I'm not retiring." He stated the fact, and wandered over to Elena and Ava.

"That guy has telepathy." Reno joked. Rude gave a slight laugh and watched as Reno glanced over at Ava. "At least she's fun to look at."

"Reno…" Rude rolled his eyes behind the cover of sunglasses. He swept his plate from the table and took it to the proper area, leaving Reno with an impish grin. Shortly after, he followed suit and disposed of his lunch.

The remainder of the work day passed with little interest. Life could be pretty boring if nothing serious was going on. He rather liked the point where the three silver haired brothers had stirred things up. At least he had something to do. Maybe he was just too wrapped up in work. The only social life he had consisted of bars and bothering former enemies, and Rude, of course.

Reno found himself making a break for the elevator once it was time to head home, the boring task of paperwork behind him for the time being. Rude left minutes before, after asking of his plans for the evening. It was Friday, after all. What's a guy like Reno supposed to do on a Friday night? Take a guess.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, names, places or concepts. They belong to Square-Enix. This applies to each chapter.

Notes: So ends the first chapter. I really poured my heart into this, as creating a new character and dealing with her job duties proved to be a little sketchy. Not so much difficult, but I want it to be believable and that can be hard. Please give the OC a chance, I promise she's not a Mary Sue. She needed to be attractive for the story line, but she's no where near perfect. It is slightly different from the plots of Final Fantasy as some of the events will be of my own creation, but I am trying to stick to the basics. Hopefully everyone is in character, though Reno was a little down in the beginning. The next chapter will prove to be more eventful now that everything is laid out! I really hope that this story will be well received, as I rather like writing it. If you do have comments, suggestions or anything else feel free to express them via e-mail or even in a review. I would highly appreciate it.


	2. Strange Occurrences

Reno had found his way back to his favorite haunt, strolling in as if he owned the establishment. He noticed that Tifa was up to her usual business of wiping down the counter and tending to those with a head start on a drunken evening. She had looked up for a moment, smiling briefly to greet him before turning to make a certain drink. Upon his arrival at the counter, his usual drink was set in front of him.

"Impressive." He grinned at Tifa, "But I wanted something different tonight." He just wanted to see her reaction.

"Oh! You just have to be difficult, don't you?" She threw her hands down at her sides as if she had lost some sort of competition.

"What other purpose would I have?" He swept the drink from the counter and drained a decent portion of the concoction. She huffed, realizing he had no intention of ordering anything else.

"How was your day?" She inquired.

"Boring, boring, boring." He nearly mentioned something that began with 'ever since Shin-Ra' but decided to skip that sensitive issue.

"Mine sure wasn't. I've already had one big fight, aside from a small scuffle at the door. I wish these boys would act like men once in a while." She giggled.

"You serve them alcohol, what can I say?" He simply took another drink and set the glass back to its ring of moisture. "Where's Spike?" That nickname, however much it suited, usually annoyed her.

"He's here. I think he's finished worrying about that woman from yesterday. Ever since Kadaj came around, it seems like he gets curious and worried about every new face that pops in the bar." She threw the old towel into the sink and leaned against the bar, watching Reno play with the precipitation dripping down the side of his glass.

"She works with us. Nothing to worry about." He watched her casual expression change to curiosity.

"She works with you?"

"Yep. She's some computer geek and I guess she's going to be doing architectural shit with Reeve." He probably shouldn't have cursed, Tifa usually pinched him for it, but this time she missed the opportunity.

"Wow. That's interesting. I bet Elena will be happy about that."

"Of course she is. Someone to sympathize over mood swings and men." He was surely going to earn himself a pinch for that one.

"Reno!" He predicted her perfectly; she pinched his arm in that sensitive spot that always made him squirm. They were interrupted by the beckoning of a beer bellied patron, and Tifa left to see what he needed.

Reno decided to pay much needed attention to his liquor, polishing off three-quarters of the glass. He had just about finished the glass when he heard the jingle at the door, and curiosity usually got the better of him. He set the drink down and guided his view toward the entrance, where he was rather unhappy to see his female counterpart. _'Just my luck.' _It wasn't exactly that he disliked her; he was just feeling fairly certain that she would tease him a little more about finally being on time and how professional he appeared.He turned from the door, hoping Elena wouldn't recognize him.

'_Right… it's fairly difficult to miss the hair.'_

He was less than amused when Elena decided to prop herself up on the open stool to his right, his gaze lingering from his glass and all the way to her face.

"Hey, Reno." She greeted him with a smirk.

"Elena." He gave her a grin that dripped of sarcasm.

"What's going on with you?" She questioned.

"You're here to give me shit, right?" He watched Elena fidget in her chair for a moment.

"Wha--?" She stuttered but was cut off.

"Come on! You know that's why you're hangin' around here."

"Reno… I have n--" He cut her off a second time.

"Elena, you know you did." Elena's frustration grew with his accusation.

"Well, you were really—"

"Uh-huh, say no more." Reno waved a hand dismissively toward Elena. She looked as if she were about to explode due to frustration. Being cut off wasn't her idea of a good conversation. Just as Elena was about to pour out what Reno assumed would be a lengthy speech about professionalism, Tifa came to his rescue. She stepped up to the bar in front of Elena, drumming her fingernails lightly atop the surface of the counter.

"Elena, what can I get you?" Tifa asked politely.

"Oh, uh…" She started

"She'll have what I've got." Reno lifted his glass in Tifa's direction, and Tifa took the glass to refill it.

"Why do you _always_ have to interrupt me?" Elena was making obvious attempts to stay calm.

"Because it's just too much fun to watch you boil over nothing." He winked toward her, but again Tifa saved him. She set the glasses down in front of their respective destinations, watching as the two exchanged glares.

"Aww, you two are bickering like Marlene and Denzel!" Tifa exclaimed.

Elena felt the unwelcome warmth of a severe blush flood her cheeks upon Tifa's comparison. The glass belonging to Elena was promptly lifted from the counter, the cold rim pressed firmly against a pouting duo. She sent a good half of the drink down her burning throat, waiting for the cringe that had overtaken her to settle. Reno sat wide eyed beside her.

"Elena! That's the best I've ever seen you drink." He chuckled as she gave him a look that could very well kill. "Come on, lighten up. You're so serious all the time."

"Perhaps because you assume that due to the fact that you're too casual. Besides, I'm quite… impetuous." She held her chin higher.

"Impetuous. Nice…"

"Yeah, you know, passionate?"

"But it also means impulsive, you always have to analyze what I do."

"Someone has to." She silenced him, draining a bit more of her drink as he began to do with his own glass. "Anyway, I wasn't here to see you. In fact, I didn't even know you were here." She stated, in a matter of fact manner.

"Oh? What are you doing here, then?" He was a little curious. She wasn't quite the drinker that he was, nor could she rival the other Turks, for that matter.

"I invited Ava out for a drink. She should be here—" As if on cue, Elena noticed the door as it swung open. Ava slipped past the doors, her work attire still fit and crisp. "any second." Elena finished the last couple words.

"Yay! Two overly serious women to share the bar with." Reno cracked himself up. He turned his attention to Tifa when she returned to the bar, not quite bothering to acknowledge his new coworker once she sat herself next to Elena.

He had managed to enjoy a bit of conversation with Tifa before another drunkard called her over. He found himself with one option, so he turned sideways to look over Elena. He barely got out a syllable before her phone rang out loudly, distracting him and leaving his jaw hung awkwardly. She apologized and slipped toward a quiet corner to take the call. That left him staring at Ava, who had damage to her own drink by this time.

"So I bet Rufus showed you a file about me. I put two and two together since you knew my name yesterday." He wanted to be sure that his assumption was correct.

"That he did. He wanted me to be acquainted with those whom I'd be working in close contact." Her professional tone set him back a sentence or two, helping to further his opinion that she just might be a workaholic.

"You know, you left the office about… oh—" He glanced down at his wrist watch for effect, "three hours ago. You can relax."

"I am perfectly relaxed, thank you." She took a sip of her drink, ignoring the 'yeah right' look he had plastered about pale features.

"That's why you were working in here yesterday. In a bar, of all places."

"How do you know I was working?" One trim brow raised in curiosity.

"What else would you be doing?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"I was watching a porno." The statement left her lips with the same serious tone and not so much as a smirk graced her features. Reno had to do a double take, not sure if he believed her. Then it dawned on him.

"You were typing."

"Was I? Well, you caught me; I was working in a bar. Next time, I'll try to be less productive, just for you." She patted her hand against the top of his own in a sarcastic manner, slipping off the stool and making her way over to Elena. Reno sat a moment, a singular word running rampant within his mind, Rude. No, not his partner Rude, but the word. Tifa had wandered back beside him, and brought him from his thoughts.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's like a female version of you." Tifa giggled.

"Me? Yeah, I'm such a workaholic." He shook his head.

"Not that. The attitude and sarcasm. Now you know how we all feel after a conversation with you!" She giggled a bit harder at the teasing sentiment she had let him onto.

"Gee thanks, Tif." Turquoise rolled in protest, the second version of his drink finished promptly.

"Anytime, Reno." Tifa grinned. "I'd love to sit around and chat, but Friday night isn't the best time for that." He agreed and she left to tend to other customers. His gaze drifted from the counter over to the corner where Ava and Elena had taken refuge. He attempted to listen in on the conversation they seemed to be so engaged in, but failed with the noise from the bar. He guessed Elena would mention how casual he was about work. Despite everyone's opinions, he really did have a fair amount of pride in his work. There wasn't any way to deny that he was damn good at his job, no matter how casual his attitude.

He noticed Elena whisper something and watched as the two giggled like school girls, a glare replacing his curious look. Ava caught sight of his leering eyes and ceased her laughter immediately. _'That's it. Elena doesn't get to be Miss Shit-talker.'_ Perhaps he was assuming too much, or maybe overreaction was a better word. Whatever the case he was off the stool in seconds, swaying lightly when his feet hit the ground, _'Man, Tif… sneaky alcohol.'_ He sauntered over to the women and looped a quick hand around the crook of Ava's elbow, yanking her off balance and pulling her away from Elena. Elena gasped, but stood her ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ava questioned, pulling her arm out of his grasp and straightening her clothing.

"Do yourself a favor, don't go taking up Elena's side and hounding me mercilessly about professionalism." He looked her dead in the eye.

Slender fingers tucked brown strands behind her ear, "You are really convinced that all conversations taking place between Elena and I revolve around you, aren't you?"

"Call me paranoid, but Elena likes to tease and she especially likes to gossip."

"She wasn't doing either, in this case." Cobalt rolled in annoyance.

"Why do you have a stick up your ass anyway? I mean… do you have a 'troubled' past or maybe guy troubles?" He was absolutely serious, she could see that much.

"You're serious. My past is just that, past. As for men, well I don't have anything to complain about." Dainty shoulders shrugged, emphasis added to the statement. "Are you done now?"

"Whatever." He shook his head and turned away, returning to the counter. Perhaps paranoid was an understatement. He surely felt like an ass at this point, not entirely sure what had caused him to become so annoyed with Elena this evening. They bickered, but there was still a sense of decency. Tonight he felt as though they were at each other's throats.

Before he could reach his stool, his pocket began to vibrate. Fingers pushed into the fabric, digging for the phone which was quickly grasped. Upon pulling it from his pocket, he flipped it open and answered with a simple 'hello.' Brows furrowed quickly and a snappy 'what?' came about. Elena and Ava looked on with curiosity, wondering what could be the problem.

"Right. I'll handle it." He hung up the phone and shoved it back into his pocket. He faced the allied women, "Rude's been shot." The worry in his features let them on to the fact that he wasn't messing around.

"Oh my god. Did they say what happened?" Elena's voice was dripping with worry.

"Someone's causing trouble. Tseng happened to be there, luckily." He mentioned, and with Tseng's name thrown out, Elena became even more concerned. Her feelings for him had never quite faded away. "We should go see Rude. Rufus will be there too." He turned upon his heels, heading for the door with Elena and Ava in tow.

* * *

Cliffhanger! I will probably get the next chapter out soon, though. Thanks for reading! Also, thank you to those who reviewed. I really appreciate the encouragement and suggestions. Stay tuned! 


	3. Strange Alliances

Reno, Elena and Ava came upon the building they had left only hours ago. During the day, the building seemed only a monstrosity of steel and glass. During the night, it loomed eerily above the streets, dimly lit with insignia glowing at the very top, which seemed to scrape the night sky. Reno etched the appearance of the building in his mind as his eyes rose from the base and up the stories until the his gaze met the end. Only several minutes ago he was enjoying, even though rather annoyed, a nice Friday evening at the bar. Now, his partner was lying in a bed, wounded. The thought wore heavily on his mind as they eased through the entrance and security points before making it into the elevator. Reno found the button corresponding to the infirmary and gave it a thud, earning a stern look from both of the women in the small confines. Silence hung over the elevator like storm clouds, a few mixed signals exchanged among them as the lift reached it's destination with parting doors. Reno tried to think of a few lines to lighten the mood, but was certain such notions wouldn't be well received by the two women.

After what seemed like hours due to worry, the allies entered a quiet room where Rude lay in a bed with a bandage over his left shoulder. The walls were a sickly shade of white, almost screaming out how sterile the environment was. Speaking of environment, it was absolutely freezing in the room. The frigid air sent a cool chill down Reno's spine as he eyed his partner. He appeared to be sleeping for the time being. His chest heaved with each passing breath, the plain sheets wrapping tighter each time his chest rose. Rufus' gaze moved from Rude to the three who had just arrived. He nodded a small greeting to them, before Tseng stepped up from the corner. Tseng radiated a calm demeanor, his hands folded neatly behind his back. His black hair was slick as ever, as if he had been completely unscathed.

"They attempted to aim for his chest, but I distracted Rude just in time. The bullet missed by mere inches and went through his shoulder." Tseng recalled in an even tone of voice.

"Will he be okay?" Elena piped up from beyond the door, worry evident within soft brown eyes as she moved closer to Tseng. She stalled a moment, tucking strands of platinum just behind delicate ears.

"Doctor Lockton has evaluated him already. His vitals are strong and he should make a full recovery shortly. He'll just need to rest some." Rufus answered her question, though she kept her eyes on Tseng.

"Thank goodness." Elena felt relieved, and she took to standing just beside Tseng.

"Who did this to him?" Reno nearly growled as he closed the door to the room after urging Ava hastily from the threshold.

"We can't be sure, but Reeve also ran into some issues during a meeting to initiate the design of several new buildings throughout the Eastern Continent." Rufus seemed to display uncertainty, which furthered Reno's frustration. Rufus was usually a pot of confidence. One who could rival his own arrogance.

"What the hell are we gonna do about it?" He was growing impatient by the minute, turquoise tinted eyes narrowing while he spoke.

"Reno, I understand you are close with Rude. However, now is not the time to act on emotion. Tseng and Elena," Rufus paused awaiting their attention. Once both turned to face him, he continued. "I would like you to return to the scene and see if you can find any information. Afterward, I would appreciate it if you would support Rude in his recovery as well as maintaining watch over the grounds." He finished his orders, folding his hands in his lap.

"Of course." Tseng obliged. Elena nodded alongside him, agreeing to the orders. However, Reno wasn't pleased with being left out.

"What am I supposed to do? Pick my nose?" Reno arched a brow in Rufus' direction.

"If you like, but I have other orders. I need to meet with Reeve to accompany him to a couple of conferences throughout the area as well as a few locations elsewhere. I would like you to come along and provide protection. Keep an eye out so to speak." He paused, hoping Reno would appreciate the new job. "Ava, I will also require your assistance. You will support Reno in his duties and also assist Reeve with some of the architectural issues he is dealing with in the conferences as he has requested."

"That's better." Reno nodded.

"I'm glad you think so. Ava, any questions about your first assignment?" Rufus turned his gaze to Ava.

"No, sir." She simply shook her head.

"Good, then. I have rooms for you both to stay in, get some rest. We'll be leaving early in the morning. I know Saturday is a strange day for business meetings, but this particular one will not be long. Tseng and Elena, no need to go tonight. Stay with Rude and leave for the scene at a safer time tomorrow." Rufus finished his orders and stood from the chair he had claimed. It was clear that the obstructed amount of information they had about who or why these attacks had begun made him uncomfortable. He moved across the room and slipped beyond the door, leaving them to the small room.

"I just wish I could stick around for Rude." Reno complained, once Rufus had left.

"He'll be fine. Elena and I will ensure that much." Tseng comforted Reno with the whole-hearted promise.

"Thanks. I guess I'll go see where my room is for now. Take care of him." Reno turned to leave, "Have fun."

"Be careful, Reno." Elena had displayed true concern for her red haired partner as her gaze wandered the familiar pony tail.

"Sure." And he was out the door. Tseng turned to Ava with a polite smile.

"Good luck on your first assignment, Ava." He gave her a slight nod.

"Thank you." She returned his kind gesture. Elena had already made it just beside her, arms looped loosely about her shoulders. Ava returned the friendly hug. Elena was certainly happy to have a female present in the matters, and the two had grown close over the short time.

"You'll do great. Just be careful, things like this can get crazy." She pulled away from Ava, watching as the brunette smiled softly.

"Thank you, Elena. You've been too kind. I will see you when we return." She turned and left Tseng and Elena to a sleeping Rude.

She was just starting down the hall when she realized she was unfamiliar with some of the floors belonging to the building. She certainly didn't know where the temporary accommodations were. Luckily, Reno was still waiting for the elevator when she arrived by the landing.

"Say, Reno? Would you mind showing me to the accommodations?" She asked casually.

"Well, since you've asked so nicely… I suppose I could do that." He nodded, without looking in her direction.

"Thanks." She rewarded his kindness.

The elevator arrived shortly, and the two boarded. Reno pressed the correct button and they were lifted upward into the building. As soon as the elevator arrived, Ava followed him to the left and down the hall a bit. He came to a stop just beside the rooms designated for them.

"There you go." He motioned toward her door, grinning slightly.

"Thanks again." She brought the small key card into view, approaching the door to unlock it.

"You wouldn't be interested in grabbing a drink before bed, would you?" He was desperate to get his mind off Rude's health. Though Rufus assured them that Rude would be fine, Reno found himself a little stressed. At the point, he'd go with the worst of company if it meant he didn't have to drink alone.

"I'd like to, but I'm just a little worn out. Rain check?" She found a disappointment in his eyes, but stuck with her original answer.

"Sure. G'night then, yo." He turned back toward the elevator as she returned to the task of unlocking the door. It would be a long day tomorrow, and she wasn't about to spoil her reputation by showing up hung over.

Reno, however, knew it would make no difference. Rufus had become used to his habits and took them in stride. He waited for the elevator and headed for the lounge, hoping the sweet taste of alcohol would take his mind from the situation.

'_Nothing like drowning in a bottle.'_ He mused with a certain sarcasm.

----

The third barrage of annoyingly raucous beeps blared from the alarm clock provided on the nightstand. The third time being the charm, Reno snapped forward from the comfort of the pillows, arm reach out toward the alarm clock to swat the correct button. Once the noise subsided, he rubbed slumberous eyes in order to focus on the time displayed. _'Fuck!'_ His mind exclaimed profanity as the realization came upon him. He was definitely behind schedule. An hour behind, to be exact.

He threw off the covers that adorned his bed, shoving his sluggish form from the mattress. The sudden pain that warped through his head caused a wince to claim pale features. He must have had a bit too much to drink. He stumbled through the motions of preparing himself to leave, hoping Rufus would understand his tardiness due to the issues at hand.

Reno had managed to stumble out to the garage where he was to meet Reeve and Rufus to depart on their trip. Turquoise searched the surrounding area for the familiar vehicle, but before he could find it, he heard Rufus' voice.

"Right on time, Reno, well done." Rufus voice echoed through the garage.

'_Man, cut the shit.'_ "What?" The bemused look displayed on Reno's face said enough.

"I may have told you to be here an hour before you needed to be, just so you would be on time." Rufus grinned.

"Perfect." Reno was slightly annoyed, but recalled his assumption of Rufus taking his habits in stride. This was one of those occasions. He turned to face the direction from which Rufus had been speaking, surprise settling in when he noticed the sleek new vehicle in place of the usual SUV. He began to approach the others. "What's with the car, boss?" It held a certain resemblance to a sports car, but the third and fourth doors ruled out the adjective 'coupe.'

"It's more environmentally angled than the SUV." Rufus noted the blatant tinge of alcohol on Reno's breath. He turned and tossed the keys at an unsuspecting Ava, who fumbled to catch the flying object. Alas, she missed and retrieved the keys from the ground. Reno chuckled a bit, but gave Rufus a strange look. _'More attempts at righting the Planet.'_

"What, you don't like my driving skills?" A brow arched.

"Reno, you're breath reeks of alcohol. I don't think driving is the best idea for you." Rufus turned and winked at Ava. She quickly unlocked the car doors, opening the rear door nearest her for Reeve. He obliged, and set himself into the comfortable seats with a polite nod, though he held a strange expression on his face. Ava had heard he once had issues with Shin-Ra and especially Rufus' father, but she was informed that such issues had been dealt with accordingly, and for his own purposes, he had done his best to make partnership profitable. Reno mirrored her on the opposite side for Rufus, who followed Reeve's actions.

Reno moved forward after closing the rear door, opening the front door and climbing in. Ava was last into the vehicle, but upon closing her door she quickly inserted the correct key into the ignition. Seconds later they were off on their trip, Ava guiding the vehicle from the garage and past the guarded exit.

Their first destination was just the other side of the city, and would take only a short time to reach. What came as a surprise to the passengers of the vehicle was just how Ava would shorten the time it would take. Once past the small side streets, she found a larger road that would lead them to the first location. A left blinker signaled quickly as the frame of the car lurched forward, passing the slower vehicle. Toes pressed firmly against the gas pedal, sending them forward into high speeds. Reno looked back at Rufus, who appeared to be shocked. None of them had guessed Ava to be a lead foot. He let out a devious laugh at Reeve, who clung to the door with white knuckles. His gaze shifted over to the brunette at the steering wheel, a light tap applied to her shoulder. With an annoyed side-glance, she urged him to spill whatever it was he needed to get out.

"You're going to kill Reeve driving that way." He gaze an amused smirk.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Reeve, sir." She glanced in the rear view mirror with a smile, a light wave given with passive fingers.

"That's quite all right, just keep your focus on the road." Reeve stuttered from the back.

Ava brought the speed down a few notches, realizing she must have appeared an over eager teen at the wheel. "I just love to drive; I guess I get carried away." She provided a small laugh.

"You like driving?" Reno inquired, with a rather curious expression.

"I do. It's very relaxing." She answered. He gave an indifferent shrug.

"It's boring." Arguing for the argument's sake.

"To you, perhaps, Reno." The letters of his name were drawn out methodically, and she gave him a quick glance. He noticed the disappearance of her glasses at this point.

"For sure. Can you drive without glasses?" He earned a skeptical look from Rufus, though his question didn't seem very insulting in his mind.

"I have contacts, you know." She signaled and slowed the vehicle, turning onto a side street when traffic allowed. She brought the car to halt just outside a tall building, shifting into park and allowing the car a moment before turning off the engine.

They each exited the vehicle from the corresponding doors, approaching the twin doors leading into the building. Rufus did most of the talking, before leading them to the elevator where they made it to an upper level. Reno peered down the long hall, decorated by several sets of doors. They moved down the hall in group, but Reeve hesitated just before the larger of the doors.

"This conference won't require your presence today." He paused, glancing at Ava and Reno. "You can wait in that room there." He pointed toward a set of doors.

The two nodded before allowing Rufus and Reeve to enter the conference room. Reno led the way into the designated waiting room, coming upon a lounge like setting with free coffee and such. Ava followed close behind, marveling at the variety of creamers laid out beside the sugar and coffee mugs. She went about pouring herself a small cup, adding some sort of vanilla creamer while Reno seated himself on a plush chair. She took a seat across from him, sipping a small bit of the steaming liquid before the cup found its way to the side table. He watched with little interest, but noted the stiff figure she kept in the chair.

"Hey thanks for pouring me a cup, rookie." He offered but a trademark smirk when she eyed him as though she might smack him. "How old are you?" He gave her an inquisitive look.

"Excuse me?" She blinked once or twice.

"Don't get all offended about it. I'm just curious." Women were always so touchy about age if they were over twenty, he assumed she was.

"Oh. Well, I'll be twenty-six in July." He nodded; she was but two years older.

"Nice. Where are you from again?" She gave him a strange expression. "Curiosity."

"Actually, my family is around this area." She lifted the mug, taking another sip of the vanilla coffee.

"Why'd Rufus mention you coming a long way, then?" He watched her set the mug gently back on the table.

"Why the interrogation?" She tilted her head, lashes fluttering lightly for emphasis.

"I'm a curious guy." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Curiosity kills." A sarcastic smirk played glossed lips.

"Cats, maybe. Last I checked, I'm not a cat, yo." He gave an equally sarcastic grin.

"I was away working on a few out of town projects when Rufus contacted me per Reeve's request." She pondered the existence of the word 'yo' while she ended her sentence. At least he had apparently cut back on the usage of the unnecessary word.

"Projects, huh?" He gave her a suspicious glare. "What kind of projects?"

"Oh, you know… filming porn and what not." She gave him a quick wink, returning her attention to her coffee. She knew his type, Elena had explained enough. Hence the constant teasing about porn.

'_There she goes with porn, again, man.'_ "You're not att—" He paused, eating his words before they became audible. She peered at him over the rim of the mug with relentless blue eyes.

"I'm not what? Attractive enough?" She really was playing his game.

"Well… it's not that. It's…eh… you know…" He was stuttering like a child, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"No, I don't. Perhaps you should inform me." Her eyes were burning into him.

"Yourboobsaren'tbigenough." Run on alert. The words came out clashed together and she struggled to make sense of them. She gave a knowing nod, chin moving up once slowly and down once at an even pace.

"Sorry to disappoint." She was less than insulted, not really caring to have what he considered big enough.

"Naw… it's not bad. It's just, they're what… B-cup?" _'Great, dig yourself even deeper.'_

Her hand sprung up, tips of fingers gingerly pressed against her lips. "You're making me blush." She feigned embarrassment. He caught the sarcasm in her tone, knowing full well she was less than embarrassed. A woman he can't embarrass is just no fun at all.

"You're no fun." He tagged in a childish tone.

"Oh I beg to differ." _Insinuation_. She didn't give him long to mull over the sentiment. "Why the constant teasing, anyhow?"

"Rights of passage." He was pleased with this answer. She simply drowned his chatter in the cup of coffee, awaiting Reeve and Rufus. That would have been the moment his eyes drifted down to her free left hand, which was resting atop her skirted thigh. He normally didn't make a habit to study women's hands, but a sparkle caught his eye. Directly on the left ring finger sat an unmistakable diamond ring. She followed his line of sight, her own eyes settling down on the ring and moving the finger idly.

"Distracting, isn't it?" She nearly laughed. The ring was gaudy in her opinion, but she wasn't one to complain.

"Are you… married?" He hated the sound of that word.

"Not quite." She spun the diamond round her finger inattentively.

"Engaged?" She said nothing, only offering a slight nod. This usually made him cringe, but he was put off by the discovery. "To who?"

"As though you would know him…" She snickered. "A friend that I grew up with. My father's a real fan." She nudged the coffee cup onto the table for a second while she straightened the collar of her tailored shirt.

"Sounds like fun." He rolled his eyes, the acrimony evident within his tone.

"Not a fan of commitment, I take it?" She let her gaze linger over him a moment, watching him grow uncomfortable at the mention of the word.

"Not so much." His answer seemed to silence her, and she receded into her coffee. He went about playing with the zipper on his jacket, mulling over the information he had just acquired. He couldn't be positive, but his instincts usually proved true. She seemed distant as soon as talk of her engagement came about, and the slight mention of her father's approval screamed arranged marriage in his ear. _'What the hell was she thinking?'_

They were nearly dying of boredom when a loud thud came from outside the doors, a familiar voice yelling loud profanities. Reno sprung to his feet, followed by Ava as the two dashed to the hall to see what the commotion was, both hoping they would not face another problem such as the one that haunted Tseng and Rude. Reno swung himself around the corner, peering down the hall to see something he did not expect.

'_Oh shit.'_

_

* * *

_Ah, the cliffhang-age. I am just really enjoying writing this story! Honestly. I just keep thinking of ideas as I finish chapters. I do hope that you all have enjoyed the third chapter. A lot of mystery going on, as well as a lot of Reno :D But I adore him, so it's justified. If you happen to wonder what Ava might look like, I have slightly modeled her after Lucrecia. This might sound strange, but I love Lucrecia's hair colour. When I thought of what I might like Ava to look like, Lucrecia came to mind. I'm trying to work on some art, but that isn't coming along too fast since I just began working full time. Anyway! Enough chatter. I do hope you've liked the chapter, please do let me know what you think. Until chapter four...


	4. Truce

'_Oh shit, ohshitohshit.' _

For a moment, he nearly succumb to the urge. He wanted to laugh his ass off when he swung the corner and saw a blushing secretary flat on her own ass, with Reeve and Rufus making attempts to help her from the floor. Apparently the cursing had been due to the two of them accidentally knocking her over with the door when they swung it open from the meeting. He heard Ava breathe a sigh of relief, realizing they had both brought on adrenaline when they heard the suspicious noise. With all that was going on, one could never quite relax.

Rufus had finally pulled the woman up and Reeve returned her files that had dropped to the floor. She thanked them and apologized all at once, clearly intimidated by them as she quickly fled the scene shaking her head and muttering inaudible rants. Reno allowed a grin to appear as he half snickered, "Oh shit, that was cute. Very suave."

"Thanks, Reno. Entirely necessary comments, as usual." Rufus glared over at him, but Reno was used to this sort of look. Reeve noticed the tension and decided to wander into the lounge, the group in the hall following him shortly after.

He glanced up when they all gathered within the room, "Now that we've completed this schedule, we can get started on getting to the next location. We're going to head away since tomorrow is our free day, that way we don't have to hurry through travel." He explained.

"Reno, I trust you can remain sober enough to pilot the company helicopter?" Rufus averted his eyes to the redhead.

"Of course, boss." He added his display of a grin and a shrug.

"We'll just head up to the roof then, I had it brought over in advance, along with having our things transferred to the helicopter." Rufus motioned for them to follow. As he began to leave the room, his phone began to sound. The item was quickly answered with a short greeting.

"Tseng." He spoke, lowering his eyes to the tiled floor. Reno became curious, hovering over Rufus in attempt to hear the conversation. He received a swat, knocking him away while Rufus glared at him for invading his personal space. Rufus never did like to be touched or have anyone in close proximity. "What did you find?" He was looking at Reno, but speaking to Tseng. He moved away from the red head and listened intently. "So apparently this was a professional…" He paused. "Perhaps. See what else you can gather and update me soon." He ended the conversation.

Reno was impatiently tapping his foot on the tile, "What did he say, yo?"

"It appears the way things went down spells professional. This was no amateur, and that means we have a new enemy, perhaps a resurfaced enemy. This could be an organization. Now that we understand the degree of the attack, Tseng and Elena will be looking into the matter to find any evidence to lead us to the offenders. In the mean time, we'll have to be careful. Whoever this is, they're not fooling around." Rufus finished, watching the serious air fall over the room. This was definitely not good news. However, they had to maintain a certain amount of confidence. If they retreated into obscurity and discontinued their business, they would be giving this enemy exactly what was desired. "Let's just try and get on with business." He returned to his path, leaving the room with the others following.

In a matter of minutes, they were up to the roof and on the helipad. Rufus was making arrangements for a vehicle in their next destination. He and Reeve had decided to schedule the areas further away prior to attending the meetings in the near by region, hoping to dissuade any violence by avoiding the area of the attack. They were the first to enter the newer, larger helicopter. They were seated comfortably in the back seats, as Reno and Ava climbed into the front. Reno flipped on the headset and urged Ava to do the same, while he switched on this and that, the hum beginning along with the occasional beep of recognition. She was to be his co-pilot of sorts today. In minutes the motor was warmed and the rotors began to wind, sending the blades atop the roof and in the small circle on the tail spinning slowly for a few moments. Faster and faster they spun with urgency until they began to lift the chopper from the concrete, Reno carefully piloting the craft to take off. Ava silently thanked Holy that Reno's hangover had subsided enough for him to safely guide the helicopter to their destination, which come to think of it, was still a mystery.

She turned, her back bending so she could face the blonde haired man, "Sir, what is our next destination?" She asked.

"Rufus, please." He corrected. "We'll be going to our furthest destination first. Wutai is actually our destination." He answered simply.

"What interest does Wutai have with architecture and organizations it does not support?" She quirked a brow in wonder.

"It actually is not that. An executive we need to meet with happens to live there and has requested our presence. We won't be there long, just enough time to meet with him tomorrow. We've smoothed things over enough to make this somewhat peaceful." Strange explanation, but he didn't bat an eye.

"He expressed urgency so we figured that it would be best to care for this matter first." Reeve stated while folding his hands neatly in his lap as the helicopter began the path Reno had in mind to come upon their destination.

The flight was marked by silence unusual for Reno. Ava studied him for a moment, he was relaxed in the seat, his fingers clinging listlessly over a gear as the other hand piloted with little effort. He was obviously very adept in flight. He yawned lazily, and she contemplated the idea that perhaps piloting was something that was like a drug to him. Just as she enjoyed driving, which relaxed her and put her at ease, perhaps this was his escape. Suddenly, his eyes were upon her and she averted her gaze to the endless sky. She heard a chuckle from the pilot, which brought her to glare at him, proving the sky useless to distract her.

"I caught that, yo." His tone was maddeningly accusatory, and that lopsided grin made her stomach cartwheel.

"What are you referring to?" She kept her eyes on him.

"You were checkin' me out." Pearly whites displayed in a sickening smile.

"Reno!" Rufus scolded from the back seat, "Would you please concentrate on flying this helicopter rather than harassing your comrades." He was reminded of when Reno harassed Elena in the same manner when she was new to the organization.

"I still caught her." He was being so much like himself; Rufus nearly took comfort in the fact that he seemed relatively unshaken by the new enemies and Rude's situation.

Reno winked at Ava, who was left wordless by the entire situation, a little infuriated. She wasn't eyeing him the way he thought she was, she was observing. However, she knew that any type of denial would only further his cocky ideas and lead to endless bickering which would surely annoy the two in the back seat. She decided she would repay him later. For now, she would scheme on just the perfect plan to one up him.

"Hey, did you guys know that Ava here is engaged?" Reno blurted.

"Really?" Reeve asked, "Congratulations Ava."

Rufus wasn't sure why Reno had shared this information. Such was a part of her file, and the issue would be dealt with accordingly. She knew she was held to confidentiality of things such as whereabouts and plans. Vital information was not to be shared with lovers, family or friends. The rules were quite simply laid out.

"Thank you, Reeve." She smiled back at the dark haired man.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Reeve inquired.

"Tch, lucky?" Reno just had to add his two cents. This earned him a harsh smack on the shoulder from Ava's petite hand, to which he winced and whimpered.

"Reno, must you always torture everyone?" Reeve returned his gaze to Ava, who was currently rubbing her palm, easing the sting that remained after coming in contact with Reno's bony shoulder. She hadn't guessed it to be quite that bony.

"His name is Slater Cross, you may be familiar with the name." She answered politely.

"Ah, yes. Quite the political family." Reeve knew of the elder Cross, however he failed to mention the discrepancy that immediately flashed through his mind. The family had once been in a full fledged war with President Shinra. A conflict of interest, perhaps? Or with Shin-Ra reformed, had the family left such grudges behind. Not that it mattered, Ava was not of the Cross family, merely engaged to a younger generation. Surprisingly, Rufus seemed unaware.

"In another world, yes." She answered, she knew of the thoughts Reeve would likely entertain. Times had changed, and the Cross family had long given up since Shin-Ra had fallen into ruin. Since being rebuilt, the tactics of old had not yet begun, leaving the world with only suspicion rather than any firm evidence.

Ava turned back to face the sky, noticing that the time must have been getting on to later hours. They would have an entire day tomorrow, and she wondered exactly what the 'day off' would entail. She had heard that the Turks were fond of the bar in Wutai, but with all but two still in the city, she really didn't think that the reason for an early arrival. Perhaps Rufus had business to tend to that he hadn't shared with her.

Reno continued in his piloting, watching the sky with little interest. The remainder of the flight went without further bickering, to Rufus and Reeve's pleasure. Finally, their destination came into view and Reno skillfully brought the helicopter down in a safe landing. Once the blades died down and came nearly to a stop, all four disembarked with their possessions. The sun was beginning to hang low in the distance, and they would likely face little resistance coming in to the small town.

Once beyond the gates, Rufus informed them of the plan. "We'll be getting a large room at the inn. You'll both be free to spend your evening and day tomorrow however you like. Should Reeve and I need to go anywhere, we'll have you both accompany us." He mentioned, as they traveled to the inn, which had been recently remodeled to accommodate larger crowds. Wutai was forever trying to become a haven for tourists.

Rufus took care of the room, and gave a key to Reeve and the two Turks. With a small amount of luggage in tow, they headed up to the new floor where they found a suite awaiting. The suite was broken down into rooms. The front landing was a living room of sorts, which spilled into a dining room and kitchen. Beyond that, there were two bedrooms on either side that each held their own bathroom. At the very back was a bathroom obviously for those not in use of the bedrooms. The luggage was distributed and Rufus noticed the strange expression on Ava's face. She hadn't had the please of traveling with them yet.

"Reeve and I will be using the bedrooms, and the two of you will have the front room. Both couches pull out, I believe. That way you can be sure to guard the suite efficiently." Rufus explained.

Reno was used to this. It was not uncommon for the Turks to share a small room while Rufus had his privacy. Besides, they were there to protect and that meant being at the point of entry. "Right, boss." He simply trailed off into the living room where he sunk into one of the couches and brought his arms up, lacing his fingers behind his head as if he were lounging.

Rufus went into the privacy of his room, as did Reeve. Both of them were likely to have business to tend to while the Turks did what they were assigned to do. Although, Rufus never did give them orders to argue.

"Hey Ava." Reno said, bringing his feet up on the coffee table. "Cook me some chow, yo." He didn't even ask nicely, he just demanded. He was treating her like a housewife, which went completely unappreciated.

Her hands were on her hips, an incredulous look plastered over her face. "Don't you think you could muster just a little decency? Perhaps ask, rather than command. Maybe even go as far as to say please?" She chided.

"Hey, I'm your superior. I don't have to say please." He gave her that infuriating grin.

"Well, I'd be disinclined to prepare any sort of dinner for you, then. That's not part of my orders." She scoffed.

"Well," his feet came off the coffee table and with swiftness, he rose to his feet. He approached her slowly with a predatory look. For a moment, she was downright afraid of whatever it was he had in mind. He came within inches of her, "Would it be any trouble for you to prepare a small meal for a comrade? I'd greatly appreciate that, if you would, please?" His speech was eloquent all of a sudden. She was quite shocked, not expecting he could form such sentences. He might have been polite, but she knew he was only doing it to frustrate her. Another battle she probably couldn't win.

"Well, now that you've asked nicely." Her voice cracked. He'd made her nervous. This came as no surprise to him; it was the way that he was trained. With his appearance and suave attitude, he was usually able to play even the most intelligent women. This was the trait that had earned him the reputation of a womanizer.

"Splendid." Another word that was foreign in his vocabulary, and dripping with sarcasm. He slunk back to his spot on the couch as she went to the small refrigerator to see just what came stocked in these suites. To her amazement, there was alcohol and a pitcher of water along with various prepared native dishes. She was off the hook. She grabbed a large platter of a vegetable stir fry mixture, noticing she could simply throw it in a pan and sizzle it a few short moments.

The aroma that hung over the suite as the dish began to cook in the pan brought Reeve and Rufus out from hiding. Reeve was first to emerge and he came into the kitchen watching the brunette tend to the food with her white sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Blue eyes wandered from the steaming pan to Reeve, who smiled.

"Something smells good." Reeve said.

"Thanks, but it was already conveniently put together." She laughed.

Just then Rufus was beside her, with a hand on the small of her back. Reno eyed the interaction curiously, almost suspiciously.

"I appreciate you taking the time to cook. Usually we have to fend for ourselves or order in." Rufus chuckled, which also struck Reno as odd. Since when was he so overly friendly?

"It really isn't a big deal. Thank Reno, it was his idea." She grabbed a utensil from a drawer and began to play with the food.

By this time, Rufus was seating himself at the table across from Reeve. The papers he had in one hand rested on the mahogany wood and he began to read. He always had that habit of mouthing the words he was reading, and it drove Reno crazy. He diverted his eyes, relaxing while the time was available.

After the dinner was ready, Ava dished it onto four plates and served like a waitress. Reno teased her that perhaps she was in the wrong profession, but she merely shrugged it off.

As dinner began to wind down, Rufus phone rang again and alerted Reno's curiosity. He watched the blonde pick up the phone and answer.

"What did you find?" Rufus questioned. Reno assumed it was Tseng. Reno listened in anticipation, "They must have gone through a lot of trouble to clean the site." He paused. "GSR? Can you tell anything from that?" Another pause. Reno was really getting to the point of wanting to take the phone from Rufus._ 'Of course you can tell things from GSR. Gee, maybe the type of gun and how close the shooter was to Rude. Dipshit'_ Reno kept his thoughts to himself. "Good, that means they have money. We're not looking at a common group of hell raisers. Professionals with a bankroll, which certainly minimizes the possibilities." Rufus simply nodded and hung up.

"Well?" Reno was eyeing Rufus.

"They went through a lot of trouble to clean up after the attack. They only left a small amount of evidence in the form of gunshot residue. Tseng analyzed the evidence found at the scene and concluded the type of gun. This gun is apparently expensive and difficult to get a hold of so that means we're dealing with a wealthy enemy. He's working on finding a compilation of information that could get us a registration of those who own this type of gun." Rufus said, finishing his dinner. "I'll be retiring, now." With that, he disappeared into his room.

"I think I'll do the same." Reeve concluded, heading for his room and leaving Reno and Ava at the table.

"I guess the ill news scared them off." Ava shook her head and began collecting the dishes and setting them in the sink.

"It's never good news when someone with money is after us. Shit, I hope Tseng can figure this out soon. We can just eliminate them and be done with all this." Reno returned to the couch in the living room, and Ava grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge. With the caps removed, she followed his path, handing him an open bottle and finding a seat across from him.

"Thanks." He said, before taking a healthy drink from the bottle. "So tell me, is it just Ava?"

Ava was mid sip, and she swallowed, lowering the bottle. "Actually, no."

"What's your name, then?" He tapped his fingers on the glass bottle.

"Avery." She almost looked embarrassed. She never really appreciated the name, hence taking up the nickname Ava.

He eyed her skeptically, "Last name?"

"McCall. Avery Anne McCall… if you must know." She filled in her middle name before he could ask. He pondered over her name for a minute. It was plain, very plain. Though, it had a nice flow and it sounded somewhat pretty. "Does the infamous Reno have a full name?" She questioned.

"Nah. Just Reno, Miss McCall." He grinned. She really wasn't interested, taking another drink from the bottle. "So you'll be Ava Anne Cross, soon…" It really wasn't a question, he was just playing with names.

"Perhaps." She said plainly, finishing her beer. "I think I'll take a quick shower, now." She thought aloud, rising to her feet and tossing the bottle in the trash while heading toward the bathroom just at the end of the suite.

Reno took on a devious expression, calling after her, "Mind if I join you?" Cue the signature smirk.

Ava spun upon her heels, facing the guilty Turk and regretting tossing her bottle into the trash. Fingers went for the nearest object, finding a silver fork which immediately took to the air with aim. The fork narrowly missed him as he ducked out of the way, and she huffed. Now this was much better. He was getting a rise out of her now, and he was thoroughly enjoying it.

"So is that a no?" Insatiable, absolutely insatiable. His smirk grew as she put on a fake smile.

"Oh, not at all. By all means, please do join me. I think you'll find my talents rather…" She paused, purposely while she licked her lips and put on her best voice, imitating those cheesy call girls she'd once heard on a television ad. "Delectable." She finished.

Reno sat feeling a little bothered by the way her words rolled off her tongue. He was off his seat in seconds; obviously he was taking her seriously. Within inches of her once again, he ended his steps. Her fingers grabbed the collar of his jacket, and with strength she turned him around and shoved him toward the bathroom. He was under the spell of her eyes as they danced beneath the dim light, her lips within centimeters of his own. She briefly recalled what Elena had said about his idea of a debriefing. He thought fraternizing with colleagues eased the stress of the mission. She was going to show him just how to reduce a little stress.

Ava was rough in her actions, pushing him through the door and he smirked when the idea of her being rather kinky flooded his mind. With all her acquired skills as a thespian, she gave him that voice again.

"You know, sometimes you just have to blow off some steam after a long day of work." With that, she brought her lips to his ear, "I could blow you away." And she did. She shoved him, hard. His calves hit the tub and he tumbled over backward. She was quick. She turned the knob on the shower before he could react, sending cold water cascading down on him until he was soaked to the bone. Red strands sleeked down, clinging to his cheek bones as he glared up at the laughing woman. He couldn't get angry, though. She wanted that. He was beginning to get a rise out of her and she just had to fuck with him. He wouldn't let her win.

"Thanks, babe. I needed a cold shower." He smiled, and maneuvered himself around until he was able to shut the water off and get to his feet. His neck throbbed from the way his head landed against the tile. She could have injured him with that stunt she just pulled.

After all the commotion, Reeve and Rufus were both peeking out of their doors when Reno stumbled into the kitchen in a dripping mess. Ava followed him with her hands over her mouth, attempting to hold back the last of her giggling. Rufus brow arched as he looked over the two.

"What the hell is going on?" He barked. They were both in for it now. Reeve disappeared into his room, not wanting to catch any of the wrath.

"Ask her." Reno grumbled, grabbing a dish towel from the counter and beginning to dry his hair.

"Ava…" Rufus' angry tone echoed into her mind and she immediately felt like a child. She turned to Rufus.

"Sir… I'm so sorry. I got a little carried away." She explained.

"I can see that. Let me guess, Reno was harassing you and you thought it'd be fun to pay him back?" Rufus cast a glare.

"I suppose that sums it up." She fidgeted.

"Am I going to have to hire a babysitter? Or assign you corners for the night?" His tone was calming a little, but nevertheless, she felt like shit.

"No, sir. I won't let it happen again." She lowered her head.

"Reno?" Rufus called.

"Yeah?" He was blotting his face with the towel.

"Grow up." He turned and retreated into his room with the slam of the door. Reno threw the towel into the sink and turned toward Ava.

"Smooth, McCall, real smooth." He growled.

"As though you're innocent?" She flared.

"Hey, that was an honest question I asked back there. You're too easy." He snorted, shrugging his shoulders.

"To an engaged wom—" Ava never finished her sentence, though Reno could guess where it was heading. She was interrupted by a loud ring, and she answered her phone. "Hi." She nearly scowled.

Reno went into the bathroom with a bundle of fabric he'd retrieved from his suitcase. The door clicked shut and he began to remove the soaked suit from his body. He hung the suit over the shower rod in effort to allow the articles of clothing to dry, before drying himself with a white towel. He dressed, sliding on a new pair of boxers followed by a pair of black pajama pants. He skipped his shirt for now, attempting to fix his hair back to its usual state of disarray.

When he returned to the living room, he found Ava on the couch with a sour look upon her face. She was still on the phone, rolling her eyes every now and then. When Reno found the couch across from her, he gave her a short glance and she brought her hand up, flapping slender fingers in a gesture that usually meant that the person on the other end of the line was babbling. He almost laughed, but simply cracked open the bottle of beer he'd picked up on his way through the kitchen and took a serious swig.

"No, Slate. I hadn't thought of that. Why the hell are you being such an ass?" She grumbled, picking some lint off her skirt. "You knew the prerequisites, and you said you could deal with it. Get over it." Cobalt eyes rolled another time. "Fine." She said, closing the phone to hang up.

"That didn't sound good…" Reno mentioned, passively. She looked over toward him for a moment, noticing his lack of a shirt. His chest was not as she expected. She was picturing something resembling ribs and bones with no definition, but was proven wrong. His abs were chiseled out, not overly muscular, but well enough. Overall, his midsection was rather appealing. Then she remembered just who she was checking out.

"I think I need a drink." Ava chirped, sending herself to her suitcase. If he was going to lounge around in pajamas, she was going to as well. She pulled black and white fabric from the suitcase and slipped off to the bathroom.

When she emerged, she was comfortable in the black bottoms and a white tank top. Nothing too revealing, but he was rather pleased by the small amount of midriff she revealed. She reached the stocked fridge and found a glass bottle which she immediately discerned to be hard liquor. Pouring a small amount into a shallow cup she found in the cabinet, she quickly found the alcohol to be satisfying. She poured herself a second glass and brought the cup with her to the couch.

"Do you… love that guy?" Reno asked, though it took courage to say.

"Why do you ask?" She said, sipping from her cup.

"You weren't all sweet on the phone. Almost like talking to him was a chore, or something." He took a drink.

'_Reno, observant? How very strange.'_ "It's complicated." She waved a hand and downed a shot's worth from the glass.

"Careful there, you look like a lightweight." He eyed her. "What's so complicated about it?"

"Must we talk about this? What about _you_, Reno? Why are you so afraid of commitment and pretty much anything more than a one night stand?" She quickly turned the subject onto him.

He squirmed inwardly, "_Because_."

"Because is not an answer." She sounded like a teacher.

"Damn… I'll tell you later?" He stretched his free arm, yawning as if he were too tired.

"Unacceptable. I answered your twenty questions, your turn to answer mine." She finished the cup of clear liquid.

"_Fuck_. I swear to god, if you mention any of this, _ever_… I will kill you." He glared.

"Death threats already?" She smirked at him, "I won't mention it."

"Not even Elena. Especially not Elena." He furthered.

"Not even Elena." She repeated.

"Some girl spun me like a fuckin' Ferris wheel and then cheated on me like a bitch." He confessed, which required him to finish the remaining amber liquid in the bottle.

"So you've sworn off women because one woman did you wrong?" She was quite intrigued. She never would have guessed that to be the reason he was the way he was. She just figured him for a player.

"All women are alike. After money and power, even a _good_ fuck now and then." He grumbled.

"We're not all bad, you know…" She set the empty glass on the side table.

"And I suppose you're the exception..?" He grinned.

"Not even close. I don't use men, and I could care less about money since my family's into plenty of it. _But _I'm no walk in the park, either." She divulged.

"No kidding, yo. I think I figured that one out." He chuckled, and set his bottle down. He shifted to bring his legs onto the couch and propped his head on the pillow that lay against the arm rest. He rubbed his neck as he readjusted to find a comfortable position. "My neck hurts, you know." He turned to look at her.

"You know…" She rose from the couch and brought herself to sit on the coffee table just beside him, "I'm really sorry about that, Reno. I shouldn't have acted like that. I apologize."

"Yeah, you were a real bitch, yo." He cradled his neck and pouted.

"I deserved that. Truce?" She held her hand out and smiled. He eyed her but decided there would be no harm.

"You got it." He grabbed her hand with a light squeeze and ran his middle finger down her soft palm when he left the contact. She wanted to shiver with the feather light touch, a tingling wake left by his fleeting finger. He knew exactly what he did.

She retracted her hand and moved back toward the other couch; ignoring the way he stared at her while she slid off the table and backed away. With a heavy sigh, she relaxed into the couch and closed her eyes. The threshold of consciousness she had was very low after the long couple of days she had, not to mention the addition of hard liquor. She quickly fell asleep, leaving the red head to his silence.

"Women." He muttered, while stumbling off to turn out the lights in the kitchen. He quickly moved to the lamp beside Ava's couch and found the switch, but paused to look over the brunette. Her facial structure was delicate, and she was beautiful in a way he'd not yet seen. She was similar in appearance to the likes of the Ancient he'd once encountered. He shrugged off his reverie, turning out the light and heading to his couch to switch out the other.

Tomorrow, he would have all day to do as he pleased in a town he never minded being in. He was already scheming a plan, and he was quite excited to put it to action. Now he just needed time to cooperate with him. His plan would commence tomorrow.

* * *

Well, that's chapter four. I really am addicted to writing this. There is so much that I have planned for the plot! This new enemy will come in to play a lot more as well as some answers to the questions that might be sticking out. I do hope this was enjoyable. Thanks to all that have reviewed. I would love to hear more thoughts on the story and chapter, so review :) 


	5. Bullets

And what sort of plan might Reno be scheming? Quite simply, he was going to utterly waste every second of his free day. Somewhere around eleven in the morning, Reno awoke to a newspaper swatting down on his arm. Startled by the hit, his eyes jerked open and he sprung to life in a sleepy daze. He rubbed his neck as pain shot down his spine from Ava's misadventure in tub dunking and finally turned to view the smirking face above him. _What a surprise, Rufus._ A death glare shot toward the blonde in the overly plush, fancy robe.

"Man… what the fuck?" Reno whined.

"Quit being such a lazy ass and do something with yourself." Rufus disarmed himself, tossing the paper onto the table with a _whack_. Before a smart remark could be made, Rufus disappeared into his room.

"He did that just to piss me off." Reno grumbled, eyeing Reeve and Ava as they sat at the table, each with their jaws somewhat gaping in disbelief. Then came the blatant laughter.

"I believe he did." Reeve chuckled, replaying the sight of Rufus wandering out of his room, grabbing the morning paper and smacking Reno over the arm with it for no apparent reason.

"I'll have to remember that one." Ava smiled a sickeningly cheery smile while Reno glared her down.

"Yeah, try it, McCall." Reno threatened, rolling onto his feet. His usual suit was likely sopping wet in the bathroom as he'd left it last night, so he opted for a casual outfit dug out of his suit case before he trudged into the bathroom under the gaze of the two at the table. The door slammed shut and more laughter came over the kitchen while he grumbled, stripping off his pajamas. "I can hear you." He called in a sing-song tone.

The laughter died into conversation by the time he'd finished dressing in the black shirt and a pair of pants not too different from his uniform slacks. He tested the suit still hung over the shower rod, finding it remotely dry. It would need to be pressed back to shape, and that would be his excuse for escaping the idiocy. The black attire and white shirt were pulled down and folded beneath his arm as he left the bathroom, eyes focused on his socks as he shuffled into the living room.

"I need to take this in to be fixed up." He murmured, slipping his shoes on while giving a pointed look to Ava. Though she felt some remorse for her little payback in the tub, she simply gave another wide smile. Despite the fact that she looked sweet with that smile plastered over dry pink lips and her hair a mess atop her head, he knew better than to assume the smile meant anything nice. The only response was the view of his back as he headed out into the mild weather Wutai held.

Once the suit was dropped by the cleaners with a two o'clock pick up, Reno found himself wandering down the quiet streets somewhat lost in a memory. There had been some good times had at the local bar with Rude and the rest of them. Mainly Rude, though. He considered Rude to be not only his partner, but his closest friend. The idea of Rude being shot simply annoyed him to no end. On a whim, he pulled his phone from his pocket and put in a call to Elena.

"_Yeah?"_ Elena's feminine voice chimed over the line after two rings.

"Yo, 'Laney. How's Rude doing?" Though his words were short and pointed, he couldn't avoid the tone of concern that bubbled up.

"_He's doing well. Dr. Lockton said he's making good progress, he's been awake and dying to get out of bed."_ Elena was truly nice, when they weren't bickering about something.

"Good. Anymore news on the bastard who did this?" Now the anger became evident.

"_Well, not really. We think it's a group, though. There's definitely more than one involved. Wealthy, smart and concise. I'd say they've held quite a grudge, considering they've given problems not only to Rude and Tseng, but to Reeve as well."_ Elena informed, causing Reno to nod every few words as he ate up the profile.

"Just great. Those are the worst cases… those crazy fucks will go to any lengths to destroy whoever or whatever has them ticked." An exaggerated sigh escaped parted lips.

"_I know, they're dangerous. Just be careful, I'll call you if I hear anything. Tseng's coming back, I have to go."_ He could hear Tseng's voice as Elena's phone clicked off. With that, he hung up, shoving the silver plastic phone back into his pocket.

During his conversation, Reno had strolled into a narrow alley to seek refuge from several of the merchants attempting to sell goods. Noticing a dingy spot on his left shoe, he hunched down beside a large box to clean to stain away. A rather impulsive, but odd movement considering he didn't usually mind a worn look. As he wiped at the spot with his thumb, the sound of muffled footsteps caused him to freeze and silently move backward until he became flush with the wall. The footsteps ended not five feet from him, and he was suddenly quite appreciative of the massive box beside him.

"So?" A male voice, gruff and old, asked.

"They're here. Only two of them, plus the corporate assholes, in a room at the inn." Another male voice, this one more youthful, answered.

"The boss'll be pleased to hear that. Gives him time to move on the other three, since they're not such a pain all broken up." The older voice said.

"So what should I do?" Asked the younger man.

"Keep an eye on the quartet. Make sure they don't leave in a hurry if their friends call cryin'" The man's voice reminded Reno of an old mobster similar to those in the movies. Perhaps this was some sort of gang, but at the moment, he had to find out who they worked for.

Glancing around, he found a glass bottle—though he regretted leaving his weapon of choice in the room at the inn—which made an exaggerated smash against the wall when he separated the glass at the center. The two men were drawn to the noise and as they stalked around the box, he took full advantage of the surprise wrenched in their gut. Swift movements brought Reno to his feet, a hard kick dealt to the older man as he knew the ancient lungs wouldn't withstand such force with any sort of composure. Sure enough, the dark skinned man fell backward against the opposite wall in a struggle to gain his breath. The younger man, appearing only about fifteen or so, stood wide eyed like an idiot. _What impressive adversaries! _

Reno burst out into laughter while dealing a devastating blow to the young man's face, glass shards digging into his flesh with force. Crimson liquid rolled down the glass bottle as the redhead held it low and threatening. The boy sprawled backward, joining the wheezing old man against the wall.

With a predatory swagger, Reno cornered them with the bloody bottle held just inches from their faces as he spoke in a low voice. "Who do you work for?"

"Fuck off, Turk!" The boy had the nerve to spit a combination of saliva and blood at Reno's face, earning him a hard kick in the stomach. The brunette whined and hunched over, clenching his abdomen. _These guys are pathetic_, Reno thought, but the way the boy spoke the word Turk gave Reno gooseflesh. _Someone's definitely holding a grudge_.

"_I said_, who the fuck do you work for?" Reno never raised his voice, instead opting for that classic tone of indirect threat.

"We'll… never tell you." The old man grumbled.

"Is that _so_?" A sarcastic grin dominated Reno's lips, the sharp blades of the bottle brought to press small indentations in the older man's cheek.

While Reno poured his attention into carving small divots into the supple flesh, the boy recovered from the stomach injury, taking the opportunity to give a surprising punch to Reno's jaw, sending him back enough to remove the imminent threat of the bottle.

Reno gaped while slender digits rose, pressing against the sore spot on his lip where he found a drop of blood. Turquoise eyes narrowed, finding an anger swelling in his stomach as he reached for the giant box, hefting it into the air with a grunt. A force unseen in the late lazy days allowed him to push forward and smash the brunt weight of the box into the young boy, causing a howl of pain and the sound of bones snapping to pierce the otherwise silent air. _Definitely broke a rib, there_. Reno growled, using the box to scrape the boy from the wall and throw both the boy and the box to the alley floor in a heaping mess of splintered wood.

In his destruction, Reno hadn't noticed the old man's approaching hand until he felt a vise like grip around his neck. The man was holding him with one hand while holding the apprehended bottle frighteningly close to his temple. The man was stronger than Reno had anticipated and they struggled for quite some time before the dark haired man's eyes simply rolled backward while quite a gory mess of brain matter escaped a large exit wound on the side of his head. Almost afraid to look, Reno gave a side glance only to find he was staring into a silencer a ways down the alley. _Explains the lack of **noise**. _The shot must have been a difficult task; between the struggling men it would be hard to get a clean aim.

Hesitantly, Reno straightened out his shirt and turned toward the gunslinger, half expecting to find another Turk. No such luck. At the T of the alley, he found a tall man with long black hair. The red cloak immediately gave him away, just a short second to the shiny golden boots and claw. Vincent Valentine. He sure had been a strange occurrence as of late, saving Elena and Tseng from torture and now practically saving Reno from at the least, a very bad headache. Vincent slid the silenced pistol into a holster beside his hip while approaching down the alley with drawn out steps.

"Worthless, utterly worthless." The smooth voice as Vincent neared the scene. A small whimper came from beneath the box, in all the commotion Reno'd forgotten about the boy.

"I'll say." He brushed a bit of blood from his lips with the backside of his hand.

"I believe your problems are deeper than you might assume. Ancient grudges are the least of the issue..." Vincent spoke confidently, kneeling down to sweep several wooden planks from the boy on the ground.

Reno mirrored Vincent, though his attention was set on milking information from the dying boy. "One more time, kid, or I'll leave you here to die. Who do you work for?"

"…sl..sla…" The boy mumbled beneath his breath. A clear attempt to talk, but in his weakness unable to form words. Something had to be done to preserve any information he might have.

"He's got something, but it seems he's too weak to say it." Vincent observed.

"If I save your pathetic life, you will tell me." Not a question, a demand. Reno swept the kid from the ground and over his shoulder, glancing toward Vincent. "He'll be ready to talk, now." And with a devious smirk, he shuffled down the alley.

The whole ordeal rolled right off his shoulders with a shrug once the boy was resting in the clinic bed, the phone again brought from his pocket as he dialed out Tseng's number.

"_This is Tseng_." Came with the third ring.

"I have a little information." Reno said with a smile, as he proceeded to tell Tseng of the entire situation.

The tale took no more than a couple of minutes, leaving Tseng quite silent. Why would anyone choose such fools as henchmen? Then there was the whole Vincent Valentine to the rescue, for a second time, detail. What did Vincent have to do with all this? Or was he just in the right place at the right time, doing more favors for them? The situation was only becoming stranger by the second. The alley meeting was quite unprofessional and did not fit the description Elena had given, but perhaps the event was untied to Rude's shooting. Anything was possible.

"Shit. I just don't get this whole thing." Reno cursed.

"_It is rather odd. Vincent ought to consider taking up his old career._" Was that a joke? A light chuckle confirmed his suspicions. The ever serious Tseng, joking around. What was the world coming to? "_I'll contact Vincent and see what it is he has to say about all this. Have the doctors notify you when the kid is ready to talk, perhaps we'll gather a name to shed some light on this. Call if you hear anything, I'll do the same_." Tseng was gone, and Reno approached the nurse outside the door.

"Call me when he wakes up, I'd like to make sure he's okay… took a lot to save him from that creep." Reno lied, handing the nurse a piece of paper with his number on it.

"Sure." She nodded, stuffing the white paper into her pocket.

It was only two o'clock, and so far the day wasn't going as he'd planned. A lazy, vacation sort of day was the original plan. Now he'd been in a fight and half immersed in a mysterious plot. A drink sounded quite good, but he couldn't very well stroll into the bar with blood on his lips and splattered on his face and clothing. So he opted for picking up his suit and returning to the hotel to wash up.

When Reno burst through the hotel doors with a swollen lip and a bloody face, all eyes were on him. The hotel room was as he left it, though Reeve and Ava sat on the couch while Rufus typed away on his laptop. Rufus glanced up from the screen, his expression growing in curiosity.

"What happened?" He asked, while Ava rose from the couch to get a look at Reno's lip.

"Ow! Don't touch it." Reno growled while Ava prodded at the wound with a stiffened finger, "Ran into some trouble out in town. Two guys apparently involved in the current attacks. Nearly ended up with a smashed face, before Vincent Valentine showed up. Tseng's on it, though."

"Whoever hit you wasn't a very good shot." Ava marveled, striding over to the freezer to gather a little bit of ice.

"Yeah, but it hurts." He whined, perhaps exaggerating the situation a tad.

"Nothing you can't handle. Vincent's really becoming quite the hero, isn't he? I'm sure Tseng will make sense of this." Rufus mentioned, casually returning to his work comforted by the fact that Tseng would call him if anything important came about.

_Thanks for the concern, boss… _Reno smirked. Ava was wadding a towel around several ice cubes over by the counter, which surprised him. Perhaps she was still trying to make amends for shoving him into the tub. Despite her intentions, she was tending to his wounds. When the cool fabric of the towel was dabbed against his lip, he sucked a breath past his lips, glaring at Ava. Wounds to the mouth always did hurt worse than many other types of injury. At least he hadn't bit his tongue when he weathered the blow. She used the corner of the towel to clean the drying blood from his skin before handing the ice and cloth to him so he could hold the swelling at bay.

"Vincent… quite the mystery, isn't he?" She mused, recalling a bit of the information she'd heard about Vincent.

"He said something about our problem being deeper than we might assume. Ancient grudges are the least of the issue... he mentioned." Reno cocked a brow, amused by the baffled look on Ava's face.

"What an odd statement." Rufus said, glancing up over his laptop again. "I wonder what exactly he meant."

"I didn't have the chance to question him, the damn kid I smashed needed to get to the clinic. He was on the verge of telling me who he works for, but he was too weak. Tseng said he was going to contact Vincent, though…" Reno informed, shaking his head.

"The clinic's going to contact you when the kid recovers?" Rufus asked.

"Yeah." Reno nodded.

"What a strange thing…" Ava trailed off, tapping her index finger against her chin thoughtfully.

"Strange, indeed." Reeve added his two cents, before rising to his feet and strolling to the fridge.

Reno had one thing in mind; getting a drink. He lazily moved into the bathroom, closing the door to clean his face and hands in private. The task didn't take long, and he took a quick second to jostle his hair. Surprisingly, his clothes remained relatively clean. He was glad he hadn't been wearing anything light in coloration. As cleaned up as he'd ever be, he hovered over the sink with a sigh. This whole situation was taking a toll on him, but he wasn't about to show that to anyone. A deep inhalation gathered his nerves, a twist to crack his back before he strayed back out the door into the kitchen.

One conclusion that came to mind when he entered the kitchen was that again, he did not want to drink alone. Just as it did the other night, the thought of drinking alone seemed utterly depressing. Usually, he had Rude or Elena to sucker into a night of booze. Tonight, there was pretty much one option. Ava was busy with a tossing a couple dishes into the dishwasher when Reno strolled by and snaked an arm over her shoulders, hustling her into the living room. Cobalt eyes widened, peering at him in curiosity.

"So, I'm cashing in that rain check." He stated simply, as if she had no option aside from accompanying him to the bar.

She cleared her throat, tucking unruly strands of chestnut behind her ear with her fingers. "That so?" She asked.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." That grin slipped over his lips and she felt like smacking it off his face.

"I've heard about the bar here… legendary." She said.

"Yep." He waved at Reeve, "Don't wait up."

Reno swept the hesitant brunette toward the door, feeling the tension brewing. Tonight would be fun, at least for him. It was like having Elena around all over again, perhaps even a little better, since Ava had that witty attitude.

Not twenty minutes later, Reno had Ava sitting on a bar stool with a nice glass of vodka chilling on ice. The bar was a little on the empty side, considering it was a Sunday evening. The quiet atmosphere weighed heavily on an already deafening silence.

"Do you just dislike me, or what?" Reno asked, breaking the silence.

Ava said nothing, only stared blankly while taking a sip of the clear liquid.

"I mean, did Elena tell you all about big bad Reno? The womanizing alcoholic with a lazy yet cocky attitude? The trouble causer, cold blooded killer?" _Overboard, Reno… but effective._

Another blank stare met turquoise eyes. For a moment, he wondered if she planned to sew her lips shut for the entire evening. Finally, she averted her gaze to the floor. "It's not that. Elena had colourful things to say about you, but she said just as many good things. You shouldn't be so hard on her."

"So …" He began, but found an interruption when her eyes focused back on him.

"I don't dislike you. Will you just drop it?" A sigh emanated from her lips.

"Yeah, yeah." He closed his eyes briefly, recalling a similar argument he'd once had with Elena. A bad habit, perhaps, but he found himself unable to resist tormenting new comers. Not that he didn't also try his best to be sarcastic with most everyone. Psychobabble might have blamed inattentive parents or self-consciousness for the character flaw, but the cold truth was that he simply had a sick sense of humor. A little to keep people at arm's length, as well.

Ava returned to sipping her drink while the speakers above head sounded out old songs she hadn't heard in some time. Reno was simply wishing that Rude would walk through the door any second and save him from the boredom hanging on his shoulders. Something had to liven this night up a little. Or someone. Ava had turned her head away, peering at the photographs on the wall. _Perfect opportunity_. Reno plucked a cube from his drink, holding the leaking ice between his thumb and forefinger. With a quick movement, he simultaneously pulled the collar of Ava's shirt away and sent the ice cube streaming down her back. A shrill squeak broke that awkward silence she'd created and she twitched like a wounded animal, none to graceful, desperately trying to pull her shirt away to free the ice. A matter of seconds and the cube shattered as it fell to the floor, leaving Ava silent as she whirled in the stool to face Reno.

"You needed to cool off." He remarked, a sly smirk painted on his lips.

"And you thought that might help?" She was fighting to keep her tone civil.

"You certainly are cold now…" He said, sending a pointed look to her neck and collar bone where goose bumps had risen.

"Enough." She cut him off shortly, a striking harshness in her voice. The vodka was downed without hesitation and she snapped her gil on the counter, "You said to have a drink with you, I have. Paid in full. Goodnight." And she started for the door.

Reno simply watched with a grin. _Success._ Ava was far too easy. He brought the small glass from the counter, swishing the ice around before taking a healthy sip.

Just outside in the darkness of the setting sun, a figure dressed in black clothing huddled against the roof top across the street from the bar. A long rifle rested against the roof, the scope pointed perfectly toward the quaint bar. The mysterious person squinted, gazing through the scope at a telltale pony tail of fiery red, rising steadily._ Perfect aim. _The sniper's forefinger twitched, pulling the trigger of the silent M40A3.

"Damn," the voice cursed, along with a shake of the head.

* * *

The cliffhangers just get worse and worse :) Well, that was the exciting chapter 5. I focused a lot on mystery and finding out just who is after the Turks. As you might suspect, it's beginning to get dangerous! Well, thanks for reading and I do hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Please review if you have a moment. 


	6. Shattering Glass

Ava had barely made the next building when the shattering of glass drew her attention. She whirled around, peering back at the bar where she saw two bystanders ducking low to the ground. The calculations were none too difficult. The barely audible slice of the bullet as it traveled through the air, the shattering of glass and the people huddled in terror told her of the gunshot. Wasting no time, she darted back for the bar, not quite considering her own vulnerability as she ran through the shattered doors. Stopping just shy of the counter beyond the line of fire, she found her heart skipping several beats as she saw the unruly mess of blazing hair. Reno was standing several stools down from where he had been sitting when she left, peering aimlessly down at the shattered glass of vodka and tracing the line to where the bullet had sunk down into the wall behind the bar. The expression that overtook his features yelled anger and fear all in the swirl of a blank stare and emotionless lips. For once, he wore no smirk.

Ava quickly ushered Reno away from the bar and into a nook where they would be safe from another attempt. The patrons in the bar had all disappeared beneath the tables, and were just beginning to resurface with fear struck in their eyes. Reno glanced at the brunette as she shook his shoulders, begging his attention. The ringing in his ears slowly faded into the feminine questioning, "How did this go down, Reno? I need to know what happened."

He shook off the wave of emotion, hiding the turmoil beneath his insatiable smirk. "Cat-like reflexes," he confessed.

"The truth, Reno. You've already confessed to being human," Ava insisted.

"Good catch, McCall. Really," he paused, considering the events that had placed him in this position, "I got up to piss. I turned for the bathroom and heard the door shattering, and then my glass. Eventually the damn thing went into the wall. If I'd been sitting there, I'd have a bullet in my head." His composure had fully returned, not a lick of the discomfort previously felt. In fact, he wasn't sure why he'd been so stirred. He'd faced death before, but perhaps the mystery in this all _was_ really getting to him.

"I suppose you ought to be glad you've the bladder of a two year old." Ava displayed her own smirk, the sly little dig taking brief moments to settle over the redhead.

"Hey! I've been drinking; it doesn't mean a damn thing," he countered.

"Oh, that's right. And you're likely drunk ninety percent of your waking hours. Forgive me," she said, displaying an open hand in a gesture that begged no forgiveness.

"Not two seconds after an attempt on my life and here you are cracking jokes and teasing me," Reno said. The serious face he wore almost had her convinced, but as the minutes droned on, he eventually smirked and let on to the fact that he really didn't care what was said about him.

"Think this is connected with the men from the alley? Or just the attempt on Rude? I mean, it's an awful lot like the way he was shot. A little more public, though. Perhaps they're slipping up in desperate attempts." Ava leaned against one of the stools, tucking strands of hair behind her ear.

"They sure are trigger happy. I'll update Tseng on the situation. But… how the hell do we get out of here?" Reno glanced around the bar, as if looking for some way to sneak out. Ava was already on the solution, and found the trembling bartender beneath the counter where she gave him a polite smile and gradually lifted him from his huddled position.

"Might there be a back entrance or even a cellar that happens to lead to the alley out back?" She asked.

"Sure. Follow me…" the bartender replied and hesitantly began the trek through the kitchen. Reno caught up momentarily, careful not to stray within the general line of fire. Once beyond the stainless steel kitchen, the bartender held a plain steel door open. The door led straight into the back alley, and both Ava and Reno nodded thanks as they strode into the dark atmosphere.

"Keep low," he reminded her, as they snuck through the passages.

Somehow the two made it safely back to the hotel room, where they found no sign of Reeve or Rufus. Despite a bit of wear, the room appeared to be in perfect shape and held no sign of trouble. Reno opted to leave his superior to whatever it was he did behind closed doors, instead putting in a call to Tseng where he told the story of the supposed sniper and near miss. The escape sounded quite exaggerated to Ava, but this only brought a small giggle as she watched the lanky man describe the scenery in all his antics. Come to think of it, he could be quite animated at times, never boring in the least.

"All right… I hope we can figure this shit out soon. I don't want to end up in hiding again, waiting it out," Reno spoke into the phone late in the conversation, once all the happenings had been explained.

"_I'll do my best. Call if anything comes up. Hopefully the boy will regain consciousness before you leave,_" Tseng answered.

"I'll call in the morning and see what the deal is," Reno said, listening as Tseng agreed and ended the call.

"The boy?" Ava questioned, running her hand over the cushion of the couch where she sat.

"Yeah, little shit had better wake up…" Reno was worried, though not outwardly. The kid could be crucial to their case, and he was lying in a bed doped up on pain killers.

"We can only hope. You look like you're about to explode," she said, in an observational tone.

"I narrowly missed being shot and my partner _was_ shot. I can just feel the fuckin' knots forming in my shoulders…" he paused, displaying a devious smile. He pivoted, sharing his back while she gazed on with her hands upon her hips, "Would you?" he asked, gesturing precisely what she thought he might.

"Reno!" she scolded, glaring daggers through his skull.

"I'm serious, yo. Knots aren't good for my job performance," he said as he peered over his shoulder with feigned innocence. Her glare faded and was traded in for a more pleasant look. It was as if she had the cheapest brakes, waning away to nothing whenever he begged or teased her.

"Sit down," she instructed, suggesting he sit on couch. When he took a seat, she perched on the arm rest behind him, the bony points of her knees lightly brushing against his sides as she moved in close. The touch sent a shrill shake through his spine, but he shoved it away with a snide remark.

"Watch those skeleton knees of yours," he smirked, and she could hear it in his voice.

"I can go to bed, if you're going to whine." She wore a smirk of her own, this time, as he shook his head in protest.

"No, I'll behave," he replied, crossing his fingers invisibly. When did he ever behave? He really could use a quick work over on those knots. They were played up to gain an advantage, but they really were there. He needed a little relief.

Ava didn't reply, opting to ignore the tone he used on the last sentence. Instead, she brought her fingers against the fabric of his shirt and began to massage his shoulders in circular motion. Her hands felt rather strong, he thought, as he relaxed into her kneading fingers. With caution, she ran deeply pointed fingers down his back on either side of his spine until she found the first of countless knots wrenched in the muscle tissue. When she began to work out the knot, he gasped and shifted beneath her finger tips.

"That one hurts like hell," he groaned, arching further away.

"It won't come out unless I work at it, and I can't do that without inflicting a little pain," she explained, wrenching deeply at the knot while he squirmed.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He exclaimed, finally finding a way to keep his back still while she loosened the tissue.

"Maybe just a little," she gave a slight laugh while using the points of her fingers to relax the muscles beneath his skin.

Just as the knot began to fade, her phone vibrated against the coffee table and much to Reno's dismay, she darted over and flicked it open.

"McCall," she barked, but at once bit her lip for the nasty tone.

Nosey as ever, Reno moved closer to her to gain a glimpse of the caller identification which read out 'Slater' in small lettering. "Thanks for the massage, doll," he called, drifting off into the bathroom with hasty steps to avoid whatever she might throw at him.

Reno clicked the door shut just as an unidentified object slammed against the door with a distinct _clunk_. With a hand placed on either side of the sink, he leaned over and observed himself in the mirror. His usual brilliant turquoise had faded an odd green due to the redness that surrounded his irises. Lack of sleep, he guessed, since he tossed all night and was rudely awakened by Rufus. Not to mention the stress that had accumulated with the given circumstances. He snorted and turned the faucet on, watching the cool water flood into the basin of the sink. His hands cupped beneath the flow of the water, catching a fair amount before splashing his face with cold refreshment.

With his face washed, he turned the water off and reached for a towel. His fingers froze mid-reach when he heard rather discreet yelling, but it was yelling none the less. The towel made haste for his face and he dried his skin, tossing the towel onto the counter when he finished. Not wanting to burst forth from the doors as if his legs were on fire, he pushed his ear against the wooden door and listened intently.

"You can be such a pompous ass. I'm so tired of this, Slater. I really am. I cannot believe you," he heard Ava snap at her fiancé, smirking at the thought that he'd caused the little spat.

"Oh, come on. I heard that sly voice he used. You didn't bother calling all day, nor have you even called twice since leaving for Edge," came the voice of a man, clearly within the room. This wasn't a telephone call; this Slater was actually in the room.

Reno instantly swiped at the knob and threw the door wide, slipping through the opening and grinning at the man he knew as Slater. Slater was near Rufus' height, with black slicked back hair and blue leering eyes. The tailored business suit he wore screamed wealth and pedigree, and it made Reno's stomach churn. Slater was standing in a cocky stance just inches from Ava, and the look on his face was pure evil. Ava, however, displayed no emotion.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Reno growled. This was violation, to say the least. Bringing a stranger into a hotel room occupied by Rufus and Reeve during this late crisis was simply stupid. It didn't matter who it was, or why he or she was there, it simply was not done.

"I came because Miss Avery thinks it okay to mistreat me." Slater stated, his voice was regal and yet sheepish all in the same.

Ava grimaced at the use of her full name, but Reno paid no attention. "Are you kidding me? She's on an assignment. Don't you fucking get that? Or are you so loaded that you don't understand the concept of work?" Reno snapped, relishing in the feeling of belittling another man. _Just the thing you need after a long day._ "Ava, you know better. Take it outside… I don't care. Just get the fuck out of here, Rufus will shit himself."

Ava nodded, and discreetly made her exit with reddened cheeks. She was clearly quite embarrassed by the entire ordeal. Slater, however, took a full minute to glare at Reno before disappearing into the darkness. With an indignant shake of his head, Reno crashed down into the couch with a sigh. At least Elena hadn't ever done something this ridiculous. This Slater shouldn't have even known their location, let alone come to their hotel room.

When Ava drifted through the door a half hour later, Reno shot her a cold stare. "He's not even supposed to know your location during times like these," he stated in a matter of fact tone. "Why did you tell him?"

"That's the thing. I didn't tell him, he called as he got to the hall and was at the door right after you went into the bathroom," Ava stated.

"He must have _some_ connections. Ava, do you realize how dangerous that is? You and Elena squawk about my professionalism all the time, and here you are with your fiancé. Not to mention Elena's constant habit of leaking information. Ya' never catch me doing that shit." _Me, lecturing someone? What a thought._

"I apologize. I really didn't think he'd be able to track everything. He probably used my phone…" she sighed, and seated herself opposite Reno.

"He's really somethin'. Whining about you 'mistreating' him…" he chuckled, leaning against the arm rest.

"He can't deal with my occupation… his family used to be involved with Shin-Ra, but it went sour. He hates that I work with Rufus and he hates that I don't bend to his every whim now that I've been away," she confessed.

"He'll just have to suck it up, won't he?" Reno grinned widely, but mulled over her statement in his mind. _Sour? Just how sour had that business gone?_ He made a mental note to have Tseng check Slater out via the database. They could access files of citizens depending on the security measures, but he doubted they'd even have to go that far. If the Cross family had run-ins with Shin-Ra, their information was likely to be on file at headquarters.

"I swear we've done nothing but argue since I decided to take up this job…" Ava continued speaking about her and Slater's arguments, but Reno drowned the trivial information in thoughts of more important things. Every once in a while, he'd nod and agree to something he really hadn't fully heard. Some might call it typical human behaviour, but those who knew him knew it to be typical Reno behaviour. The way he nodded and carried along could convince many he was listening intently. Elena would have called him on it, but to his advantage, Ava was none the wiser. Eventually, she began to tire of spilling these details, and slowed her story.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said. Of course, what he was sorry to hear was an utter mystery to him. It sounded good, and that's what counted. "Listen, I need to go down to the clinic. I want to see if that damn kid came to," he announced, rising from the couch and throwing his blazer over his casual clothing.

"I'll come along," she replied, coming to her feet.

Reno swore into the silence of his mind, finding that this would hinder his plans. However, he had no good excuse for telling her to stay behi—_wait a minute_. "You can't. Who'll watch the door?"

"Who watches the door when we're sleeping?" she countered.

_Ah, good point_, "Tonight's worse. One of us needs to be alert at all times, especially after the hit," he argued.

"All the more reason you need someone with you, they didn't put a hit on Rufus or Reeve," she took a staunch position, hips tilted and her hands perched atop the bones bound beneath the fabric of black pants. It was clear she had every intention of going with, which caused him to wonder. Why was she insisting on coming along?

"Okay, why do you want to go so bad?" he asked, taking his own firm stance.

"I need to get my hands… wet, so to speak. I can't just sit back while everyone else does the work. It's my first case, Reno. If I don't help out, I risk being set back," she seemed to plead with her eyes, using a bona fide pout.

"You can be really annoying, McCall," he heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes defiantly.

"That mean I can come?" she smirked, sharpening to that snippy tone that would be sure to annoy his ears.

"Whatever," _not no, not yes… whatever. The hell is wrong with me? _"Get your damn coat," he began to head for the door, regretting his decision as soon as she smiled that crazy grin.

The brisk walk to the clinic proved silent but that was a blessing, considering they hadn't encountered anymore attacks. Having gotten her way, Ava seemed relatively content to civil. Reno was caught in the catacombs of his mind, scheming a plan to hold her up while he took care of the urgent matters that pressed him. When they arrived at the clinic desk, he noticed Ava's scrunched nose and glanced toward her to find quite the disgusted look upon her face.

"What's the matter, McCall?" he said in a teasing accent, half smirking while tending to the clip board of papers that needed to be signed to visit.

"Nothing I can't handle," she nearly shivered beneath the scrutiny, obviously hiding whatever she was feeling beneath the awkward smile she held.

"You look like you're about to pass the fuck out," he stated, scribbling a signature on the papers while the nurse behind the desk admitted them to the second door.

"I just… hate these places. The smell, the sickness… the," this time she did shudder as they passed through the white swinging doors, "the _germs_."

Reno simply snorted a slight laugh, shaking his head while they followed the nurse down the long corridor to the boy's room. The nurse left upon arrival, leaving Reno and Ava standing on either side of the teenager's bed. Ava appeared soft as she peered down at this enemy; almost unbelieving that someone so young could be so involved in this thickening danger.

"He's so young," she mentioned.

"Yep, they're starting them young these days," he swayed, watching her nose scrunch again.

"That's ridiculous. They should have childhoods and enjoy that while they can, rather than being forced into adulthood before they're able to even comprehend their actions." Ava turned her head away from the boy, biting her lip in quite pronounced disgust.

"Not the kind of world we live in, McCall…" he glanced at the monitors with their blinking green glow, realizing the boy was no where near consciousness, "I need to update Tseng. I don't want a nurse or someone to overhear, so I'm going out. Stay with him," Reno ordered, reading the nod Ava replied with and leaving the room promptly.

The original plan was to head out and find a spot to question Tseng about Slater, but with Ava's persistence, they ended up at the hospital anyhow. With silent footfalls, he found an unoccupied room and slipped in unnoticed. Placing the call to Tseng, Reno explained the happenings with Slater.

"_What in Holy was she thinking?_" Tseng sounded angry beneath the cool pitch of his voice.

"Well, she claims he tracked her down. Showed up out of nowhere," Reno replied, finding that the explanation sounded weak. "Have we got a mole?" It never occurred to him before, but that would be a logical explanation.

"_Reno, you know the sort of background checks they run. Ava McCall is not a mole, think about the consequences. If she was, she would not flaunt it so readily, less she craves to wind up in a cell awaiting her ill fate,_" Tseng shot back.

"Right, right… well, I gave her hell about it. She seemed pretty damn embarrassed. That leads to my next question. This Slater must have connections if he can track us so quickly. Run a report on him, and I bet we'll find some insight to the attacks," Reno paused, awaiting Tseng's input.

"_The fact that someone has money and connections does not incriminate them, is there something else?_" Tseng queried.

Reno had to think for a moment, but it all dawned on him at once, "Fuck. Well, not only did Reeve notice something strange about the Cross family on the way here, but Ava herself told me that they had some sour blood with Shin-Ra." Reno tapped his foot against the linoleum impatiently; trying to recall what else it was he wanted to say. It was on the tip of his tongue, but the concept simply eluded him.

"_I knew of the Cross family. We quieted them down quite convincingly. Although, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to run a profile on Slater. It was his father and the prior generation that we kept close watch over, perhaps he's managed to slip below the radar. Maybe Ava gave him the fuel he needed to begin acting against us,_" Tseng sounded almost inquisitive. Their leader usually got excited—as much as the serious demeanor would permit—about investigations and new leads.

"That makes a hell of a lot of sense," Reno agreed.

"_I'll call you back with the intel_," Tseng remarked before the electronic click sounded.

Reno replaced the phone in his pocket, before noticing a loud crash sounding outside in the hall. Several nurses flew by the small peep window in the door, leaving a fluttering in his stomach. Creeping toward the door, he slowly propped the door open and peered around the corner to see the nurses round the corner into the room where the boy slept beneath Ava's watch. Anger burned through him and he slammed a fist against the metal door jamb, flinging himself into the hall and running for the door. _What now?_

As he drew near the door, a distinct sound caught his ears. The shrill blare of the equipment signaled a flat line and when he rounded the corner, he saw the nurses desperately working on the boy while the green line ran flat across the monitor. Ava had ended up sunken back in the corner with a frown, watching the staff attempt to resuscitate the kid.

"Move!" the voice behind him shouted, and he stumbled away as a male nurse carted through a creepy machine. _What the fuck is that for?_

_

* * *

_Well, this chapter was a little less adventurous, but there has been a lot of progress in the case :) As you can tell, this is somewhat of a suspense/action story. I have a lot in mind, and it will only get more intense from here. I had to add the piece about Ava's germ problem... I couldn't resist. Hosptials just creep me out, beyond that... Ew. Anyway, thanks for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter.. and I hope I have not disappointed with this chapter. In the future chapters, some of the focus might swing to Tseng and Elena... and just to warn, there will be a little Tselena :) Please review if you have any comments about the story, whether good or bad.


	7. Discovery

The machinery wheeled past him in the hands of a nurse seemed reminiscent of the monstrosities that he had seen in the Shin-Ra labs. Though the nurse looked nothing like Hojo, a flashback taunted his mind.

Lost in the depths of memories, Reno was jolted when the hypnotizing hum of the flat green line exchanged for several sporadic beeps of a twitching score. The arcs of the report steadied as much as could be expected from an unpredictable heart and the medical staff seemed to settle for a moment, signaling that the boy had been resuscitated. The young criminal had cheated death, for now.

As one of the staff began to make way toward the exit, Reno flushed his arm outward to brush the door jamb with his fingers. The makeshift blockade kept the fair woman at bay, and she shot him a curious glance. Her lips lacked any notion of disapproval, but kept straight and tight as if to prove serious beneath the charming stare of turquoise irises.

"He's fine?" Reno asked, observing the way she stiffened beneath the confines of a sterile white coat.

"Oh, he's far from fine. To be perfectly honest, it would surprise me if he regains consciousness. Anything is possible, though," she replied. He noticed her accent was much more subdued than her striking appearance. He had thought her a native of Wutai, but perhaps she held only the heritage, for her mannerisms and tone betrayed such upbringing. In a fleeting moment, he felt ridiculous for using the wording 'fine.' In all reality, he'd meant alive.

"Great," he managed to say as he allowed his arm to fall against his side, providing exit for the physician. Just why had this kid slipped into a coma, anyhow? Perhaps the head trauma of falling to the ground and having a couple hundred pounds smashed over his body. Suffering blood loss or being left to suffer for nearly a half an hour? The state was likely due to a combination of the aforementioned, along with internal injury and a punctured lung. Reno never did ask the precise reason; he simply accepted that he wouldn't be gaining any information from this boy.

Reno glanced briefly at Ava, who appeared distant. Her eyes seemed empty as she stared toward the sterile bed while the nurses slowly dispersed. Something was weighting her down, dominating her thoughts. Reno shook his head, calmly approaching her and resting a hand against the crook of her elbow to draw her attention.

"We should get back, I don't think we'll be gaining any intelligence from this kid," he said quietly.

For a moment, he thought he'd have to repeat his words. As a slow minute ticked by, she slowly raised her chin and looked to him with darkened blue eyes. "I suppose you're right…" she agreed, nodding and secretly gathering composure.

"Are you going to be able to deal with the dirty side of this… line of work?" he asked, honestly doubting her ability to kill or even harm.

"It's not the violence, Reno. It's nothing, really," she sighed, turning to exit the room.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," he argued, perhaps only for the sake of arguing.

"I just hate to see young lives wasted, that's really all it is. Come on," she paused beyond the door and waited until he caught up before taking up the path toward the clinic exit.

Outside the sun crept upward, highlighting the horizon in faint pink hues. Dawn was fast approaching, so it provided the illusion that the night had flown by without a hindrance. Beside the walkway, Ava noticed several willows, the silvery outline of their leaves cascading toward a green lawn. Wisteria hung in clusters from vines trailed delicately across the outer walls enclosing this spec of nature. The sweet scent of blossoms drifted thick in the heavy morning air, and she breathed a deep breath of the scent. She wondered if the clinic had kept the garden to entice the healing of patients.

"Enjoying the scenery?" Reno asked, breaking her appreciation.

"I haven't been to Wutai before," she replied, slowing her pace to observe the sparkle of dew dappled on the flowering trees lined along the way.

"Really?" he inquired.

"Really. I've read of Wutai, studied some of the culture… but never visited until now," she explained. "I think it'd be nice to spend time here on leave,"

"Maybe…" he answered idly, as if bored with the idea.

The better part of the retreat to the Inn went with silence, both lost in their own thoughts and ideas until they reached their destination. Just beyond the door, Reno stretched and yawned exaggeratedly. The yawn caused a chain reaction, for Ava stifled her own yawn as she closed the door to the room. Reeve happened to be sitting at the kitchen table, peering curiously at the two as they stood in the living room looking like zombies.

"You stayed at that bar all night long?" he asked, rather incredulously.

"Well, no. Long story, Reeve…" Reno answered, vaguely distracted by Ava as she began rummaging through her suitcase.

"Ah, interesting," Reeve concluded, returning to reading a newspaper.

Ava had already disappeared into the bathroom when Rufus emerged from the bedroom, glancing at Reno with distaste. "So you stayed out all night to drink, before escorting us to the meeting?" he questioned.

"No, Rufus. I nearly had my head blown off by an _obviously amateur_ sniper. Then we had an unexpected visitor. I decided to check up on the only lead we have thus far, and he happened flat line and be revived in front of our very eyes," Reno mocked surprise, clearly displaying his short nerves and frustration in a most unprofessional manner.

"Oh… well I guess that wouldn't point to irresponsibility. Where did the sniper target you?" Rufus asked, ignorant to the bite of Reno's tone.

"The bar," Reno answered. He realized that he was slightly glad that the piece about the unexpected visitor had slid right over Rufus' head.

"You've told Tseng, I trust?" A blonde brow arched in a look of question.

"I let him know." The air about the room was nothing short of normal, but for some reason he as though his head might explode. He couldn't quite place the blame, but he suspected sleep deprivation.

"Right. Well, I guess we'll have to be more discreet in our travel plans. However, we won't be hiding like cowards," Rufus said. "Be ready to head to the meeting in an hour. We need to be there by seven-thirty."

"Good, good, good…" Reno repeated, cursing silently at the idea of sitting and waiting in such a tired state.

While Rufus and Reeve prepped for the meeting by running over notes and such, Reno began to unpack his uniform from the dry cleaning plastics. As he pulled the pins from various spots and observed the creases and folds, he suddenly found the scent of lilies and notes of camellia stirring. A glance toward the bathroom yielded an explanation. Ava was walking toward the living room with a refreshed look, her long waves of brown hair sticking against her skin in their wet condition. He noticed that she wore the standard uniform today, and it suited her well just as it flattered Elena.

While Ava busied herself with the task of blotting her wet hair in a white towel, he realized his opportunity and made for the kitchen with his uniform in tow. Just as he locked the door, he heard Ava yell something about not being finished.

"Then you shouldn't have taken so damn long out there. You lost," he laughed and turned to cleaning up. It was her fault for meandering around and airing that sweet scent throughout the suite.

The cold waters pouring from the shower head served to awaken every inch of his skin, but did nothing for his mind. Reno could have sworn in that moment that he was growing old, since he used to spend many nights out far too late and simply work a full shift the following day. Choosing to ignore any such notion, he proceeded to wash beneath the constant artificial rain.

After perfecting his daily attire and look, he emerged to find quite a mess of things strewn about the kitchen. Rufus was standing near the counter with a finger pressed against his chin in thought, and looking quite dismayed.

"Where the hell did I put that…" he trailed in question, shaking his head.

"What?" Reno asked.

"Just a notebook I usually keep," Rufus replied, utterly stunned at the object's disappearance.

"It's only a notebook, get another one." With that, Reno began to return to the living room.

"It has my schedule and notes, I can't buy those." Delicate hands ruffled through lengths of blonde as he heaved a frustrated sigh and swept up the mess he'd created, shoving the papers and books into a canvas bag.

"Mr. Organization," Reno remarked beneath his breath.

"At least he doesn't live in total disarray," a feminine voice chimed from the couch.

Reno hadn't a reason to glance at Ava; he knew her voice well enough. But where would the fun be in simply ignoring her? He sought her as she sat on the couch, finding a rather unusual thing. Since he'd stolen the bathroom, she obviously had no opportunity to style her hair. The long waves cascaded in a mess, falling soft and curling to form a frame about her face.

"You should wear your hair that way more often," he noted.

Ava's nose scrunched and her brows became low, taken aback by the sudden compliment. How odd a thing it was to be sincerely complimented by Reno, especially in a setting where climbing in bed simply would not be a possibility. The lack of response alone gave him a sense of self satisfaction, since he'd done more damage than if he'd dealt a childish comment. The lithe brunette simply tossed her hands dismissively and began to pack her things into a leather travel bag.

Once the idle task of packing had been finished, the luggage was arranged to be taken to the helicopter while the meeting took place. Rufus had complained several times about the fact that he'd been unable to find his notebook, but no one paid him any mind. The item might turn up when they unpack. If worse came to worst, a journal could be rewritten, he could certainly purchase a notebook and fill it on the way to the other destinations.

Thus the meeting commenced, leaving Reno and Ava quite bored in the waiting room once more.

---x---

Miles away from Wutai, a tall man fitted in a dark suit stood beside a pillar of white marble, leaned against the cool stone in distant thought. The cigarette held betwixt fingers found solace between pale lips as a drag was taken. Poison fled from his lungs as he exhaled just half a minute later, contemplating all that was taking place.

Careful footsteps broke this man's reverie, bringing his eyes toward the courtyard where another walked toward him. The light tap of her raised heels resounded throughout the outer halls of the villa, until she found her path obstructed by a guard holding a rather threatening pistol toward her temple. Every inch of finely sculpted muscle tensed beneath the cold touch of the muzzle as it grazed her pallid skin. Dark irises pinned into the corner of her eyes, sizing up her enemy with a quick mind. A chilling breeze swept across the property, lifting threads of long black hair and whipping them about without regard. Hot breath trickled past parted lips, a soft hiss accompanied by the swish of the silk fabric encasing her slender frame. The hefty guard glanced toward the location of his boss, all the distraction she needed to render him useless. A quick movement sent the pistol clattering across the concrete while she put the guard under with a well practiced maneuver.

"Enough," said the man by the pillar, waving a dismissive hand.

"Then call off your dogs _before_ they taint my oxygen," the woman snapped, her tone as cold as the silk which bound her.

"You shouldn't speak so freely in my presence. You missed the target, failed the mission. What gives you this sense of righteousness?" he challenged, stepping the cherry out as the cigarette touched the ground.

"I told you that sniping was not my forte. You chose not to hire someone better trained in that field," she said, sauntering closer with calculated steps.

"I put far too much trust in you, in your knowledge of your homeland and the skills you acquired through training. It seems I have been blinded by your… _other _assets," he drew out the final words and drank her in with his eyes, causing a slight shiver to traverse the woman's spine.

"You, sir, are spoken for. What interest would you have in a dangerous woman? Go bed your serene wife." A pitch of jealousy strained the undertones of her voice, and he knew he'd backed her into a corner. He'd known her for several weeks now, and their game of seduction had started almost immediately.

"She is not my wife, yet," he called, watching the prowl of her feline steps as she closed the distance between them to a mere inch or two.

"But you love her," came her wispy voice, the sway of her breath against his lips tantalizing in the chilled air.

"She is a pawn. A toy, if you will. She serves purposes in my life, but I have no intention of tossing out my fun in the name of fidelity." With the confession, he brushed his lips against hers until fire ignited between them, locking them in the throes of passion. Only the cloudy sky bore witness to the lewd pleasures that transpired in the courtyard of the villa.

---x---

Within the monstrous steel structure known as headquarters to those who embraced Shin-Ra, Rude was finally allowed to climb out of his temporary prison and don the familiar black suit he so longed to wear. He hadn't ever realized just how naked he felt without its embrace.

Outside, the grey clouds loomed and the rain drizzled onto the streets. Inside, he felt whole again, finally free of that ridiculous hospital bed and gown. Elena gave him an encouraging smile, watching as he finished with his tie.

"Now that's the Rude I know," she said.

"It feels better to get back to normal," he replied, picking up a few possessions in the clear container by the bed.

"Shall we, then?" she asked, gesturing toward the door.

Rude said nothing, only nodded and followed Elena beyond the doors of a room he never wished to revisit. She drove hastily back to his apartment, where she dropped him off and promised to update him on the bit of work that she and Tseng would be doing later on. Even though he was removed from bed rest, he was forbidden to work until mid-week.

Upon arriving back at headquarters, Elena hurried through security and up to meet Tseng in the computer database room. As she met the steel door of the CDR, she swiped her identification through the slot beside the lock and waited for the green light. As the beep chimed, she entered the room and felt the cool air nip at her skin even beneath her uniform. The room was kept icy most times, and she felt a shiver scrape over her.

Tseng inhabited a large leather chair at one of several computers, idly watching the screen as he read various reports. With silent grace, she slipped up behind him and wound her fingers through long strands of midnight. Her unprofessional behaviour would certainly set him back a couple steps, but the room held no cameras and no one would know of anything that happened behind the door.

"Elena," his cool voice swept over the mechanical hum of the computers.

"Are you checking on the lead Reno sent?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder as she hovered behind him. She was disappointed to see no reaction to her feminine games, but what else might one expect from such a collected individual. Even still, she was always trying to break his shell in the oddest places, a game they'd started unofficially once feelings were realized.

"Barely. It appears he is quite a secretive man, this Slater Cross. Hold up in a villa with servants and a staff of bodyguards. He is very wealthy, to say the least. The profile is fitting, but there's nothing here that points to any sort of discrepancy. The man hasn't so much as jay walked on a deserted road. I think Reno's a little too worried about the fact that he came after Ava," Tseng explained.

"So basically, he's a wealthy ass with nothing to do aside from chasing his fiancé when she takes on a new job," Elena finalized.

"The evidence points that way. Until we find anything further, I'd say he's a waste of time." A click of the mouse sent the screen into a blank state as Tseng turned half-circle in the chair to face Elena.

"I have a bad feeling about him, Tseng," Elena admitted, chasing a strand of blonde hair from her face with a stiffened finger.

"That is because you have a weakness for Ava, and you want to protect her from whatever this Slater could do to her," he said, watching her brows furrow. "You think him similar to Rufus. I can see it. Since he has money and power, you assume he'll be ruthless or play a field of women in his left hand while slipping a diamond on Ava's finger with the right."

"Well, I hadn't thought of it that way," she remarked, feeling as though he had insight to her thoughts that even she did not have.

"Subconscious assumptions and thoughts bleeding into your conscious reactions, but the feeling is entirely understandable, Elena."

"I don't know. I still have this… inexplicable feeling in the pit of my stomach," she wrenched her fist as if to show what her stomach might feel.

"As do I, but until we find something circumstantial there is not much to be done. One also must not seek a scapegoat to ease their sorrows. We cannot blame just anyone for the sake of false comfort." Upon his statement of truth, Elena brushed his cheek with the tips of her fingers. The feather light touch sent a crashing sense of elation throughout him, but Tseng would never admit to such.

"I guess you're probably right," she avowed with no reluctance. What really grasped her mind was the idea that he came within inches of cracking beneath her touch. One day, she'd break that shell. One day.

---x---

"I'm _sooo_ bored," Reno drawled, sighing exaggeratedly while sprawling on the leather chair he'd claimed upon finding the waiting room.

"They have been in there for six hours," Ava agreed, glancing heavily at her wristwatch.

"No shit? How long can a meeting possibly take?" Reno questioned more out of making a point.

"I've seen meetings run nine hours before," she said with a smile, watching his face fall into a discontented expression.

"Ridiculous," he stated.

"Then bring something to do so you won't get so bored," Ava suggested, following his gaze as it fell on a deck of cards lying on the coffee stand. "Don't look at me… poker is not my game."

"You can't play?" he asked, a brow cocked in surprise.

"Not to save my life," she nodded.

"I'll have to teach you someday, it's a requirement of the trade. Even Elena can play a _decent_ game," he strained the word decent as if to say she was a novice and he an expert.

"Someday," she agreed, hoping that someday would be a long time from the present.

So many questions burned Reno's mind like wild fire set ablaze in a forest of dry pine trees. Tseng hadn't called with news on this shady character Ava brought into their world, and that worried him. He was impatient, if nothing else and he wanted to know just what Slater Cross meant to the Turks and to Shin-Ra. The task of lifting such information from Ava would be difficult without raising an alarm. What would she think if he had a sudden interest in her fiancé? But this is what he trained for. Extracting information shouldn't be beyond his realm of various skills.

"Ava," he began, calculating a very bored expression and lacking eyes. "Where did you meet Slater?"

The question did not surprise her. After Slater had shown his face at the inn, she was quite sure things would be stirred. She thought a moment, and answered truthfully, "My father and his were friends for a long time, and they constantly brought us together. I guess things clicked once at a banquet. My father saw Slater as the hope to pull his father out of the sour dealings I spoke of. Slater had always made it known that he did not appreciate his father's resentment of Shin-Ra, and my father wanted nothing more than to keep his friend from crossing lines that he would not come back from."

"Sounds like there's more agenda than love," Reno observed, picking at a piece if lint on his slacks.

"At times, I guess our relationship has benefits beyond Slater and me, but we have something. I can't explain it, but it's there," she said as if convincing herself rather than Reno.

"So Slater was playing peacemaker between his father and Shin-Ra?" he asked.

"He was trying. I think he wanted to save his father just as my father wanted to. There was a time, during the crisis and all, that they felt Shin-Ra might have been pushing serious boundaries. I think him and his father both kind of snapped then… but once things changed, they suddenly went into silence about everything. I haven't heard so much as the beginnings of the word Shin-Ra since. My father has been happy about that, since he's always admired Shin-Ra. When I left for Edge, he practically told me I was his pride." A glint of light through the slats of blinds distracted her attention. She was feeling quite long winded, with the story and the twisted history that befell the Cross name.

"So you set aside your fiancé's feelings to live for your father?" he asked, wondering precisely why she would go to work for the company it seemed her "love" and his father despised.

"For myself, Reno. Think about why you do what you do. There's no firm explanation, just a desire to be this job. I knew kids who dreamed of being a part of this organization, of this enigmatic occupation that puts some in awe and others in hatred. I sometimes wish I'd come in sooner…" she drew out a breath, glancing at the floor.

"It was pretty exciting before Rufus began this streak of mild behaviour. I'm not even entirely sure what he has planned, but I know he wants to be back in power. Whether he'll do good, or bad… or somewhere in between, I don't have the slightest clue. I just love what I do, even though this shit we're going through now is boring. There's a loyalty I can't seem to shake."

"I can't see Shin-Ra fighting crime alongside the rebuilding of the world…" she commented, nearly laughing at the thought.

"That is an odd thought... leave that to Tifa and her friends."

"The woman from the bar?" she asked, remembering the name.

"Yeah, that's her. They're always around to save the day," he said with a grunt of a laugh. He'd learned more about Ava than he had intended, and much less about Slater. With the subject changed, he didn't feel the need to rehash old points.

"That's nice…" she said, not entirely sure what to say. There were few times when she drew blanks in conversation, but lately she'd felt herself stumble over words several times. Perhaps the man across from her had some sway on this odd revelation? If she were to be completely honest with herself, she might have been running scared for the fact that his charm had been wearing on her since their truce.

"Well, I need to piss," he announced with a grin.

"Isn't that pleasant," Ava replied, rolling her eyes and settling on insanity for the thought of his 'charm.' Clearly she was not thinking straight.

Reno got to his feet, wandering over toward the hall and leaving Ava to her own devices. He walked toward the direction of the men's room, but veered the opposite direction into an abandoned office. The door was closed silently behind him, the lights clicked on. The halogen bulbs flickered several times before coming to life, flooding the empty room in white light. He came to lean against the grey walls, bringing his phone from his pocket and dialing Tseng.

The phone rang a total of five rings before voicemail picked up the call, and Reno gave a heavy sigh. As the tone sounded, he left a brief message, "Tseng, Reno calling to check in on that report—" a loud beep interrupted his message and he jerked the phone down to see the call waiting signal. A quick flash over revealed a short greeting.

"Reno," he answered.

"_Sorry, Reno,_" Tseng's voice came, sounding almost winded.

"And what were you up to?" Reno asked, almost accusing Tseng of some sin.

"_I don't think that is any of your business. I'm going to venture a guess. You're calling about Cross?_" Tseng asked.

"How did you know?" Reno mocked surprise.

"_Well, he's clean. Not a speck on his record, the only way to find evidence would be to launch an investigation on him,_" Tseng said, but in the tinny sound of the phone, Reno almost thought he could hear a feminine voice. _Good for Tseng_, he thought.

"So why don't we investigate him?" Reno asked.

"_We'd have to devote a lot of resources. He's almost untouchable, but there would be ways. Do you have any reason to be suspicious aside from what we've already gone over?"_ Tseng asked.

"Just the way he tracked Ava and the fact that he was here during two attempts," Reno explained.

"_Think about that. If he were the one behind all of this, do you think he'd risk being seen near the attacks simply to bother Ava about 'attention'? Especially when he's infamous for being a playboy?"_ Tseng queried.

"Actually, wouldn't it play in his favour? Act as an alibi of sorts?"

"_That's possible. And I'd bet he has access to private jets and such. He can probably travel on a whim_."

"So he comes here to give himself an alibi and hurries back to pull the strings from… do we know where he lives?"

"_Yes, a villa quite south of Junon, almost closer to the Temple_."

"It's plausible,"

"_I'll see what I can do with Rufus to begin gathering information. Try to get some out of Ava, if you can_."

"Will do," Reno said, despite the fact that it meant carrying more personal conversations. And the conversation ended.

Reno stood a moment, staring at the heavy door. This whole situation gave him a feeling of unease. There was always something to be paranoid about when such mystery shrouds each day. The hunted always find a hunter in every person or object they pass throughout their times of paranoia. Perhaps he was jumping the gun on this Slater Cross, but better to be trigger happy than to freeze and fall at the hands of an enemy.

* * *

I'm going to try something new down here in the notes :) I will be replying publicly since some might be interested in seeing such responses. A little idea I had. Here goes:

Until chapter eight –

Just Jill- It is rather incriminating! Why would anyone want to harm a hair on Reno's head:P Thank you for the compliments, and for reviewing.

Mengde- I know, I know! Isn't he in trouble :D But no way is it him –cough-. Glad to see you are wondering about the plot, and I appreciate your review and encouragement. Thanks!

Z-I put a lot of description into a lot of things. The wisteria and willows, for example. It is my thing, I love to describe away. I doubt I can avoid using the word 'lips' throughout all my fiction. It's a part of the body and we are talking about humans (unless of course it is Reno) but sometimes lips must be used… :D But I kept the repetition out. I see the paragraph I believe you are mentioning, and I want you to know that her blatant expression was meant to enhance what took place. There wasn't much analysis. If he couldn't understand that expression, I might wonder if he even made it through kindergarten. Anyhow, I also believe that some of a character is open to the author. As for what goes on in Reno's head, even throughout obvious points of Advent Children… is quite a mystery. We can interpret and guess and formulate opinions, but that tends to be all I feel we can do. For all we know (though very unlikely) he recites poems and uses eight syllable words in his mind. But we guess not because of how he speaks, and etc. Anyway, that's my thought process. Sorry if you feel differently. As for the question in the author's notes… I was somewhat joking. I like to interact. More or less because I made it so very obvious in this chapter, I was being silly. Anyhow, I think author's notes can be whatever the author wishes :P –pats back- You're so much fun. I love getting your reviews because they make me think deeply ;) About GA- I am designing the new layout and it's SO much better IMO. I am really excited about this one… it's blended and lovely. I found some amazing pictures to use. I should be able to get it done tonight and send it to you. I'll be gone in Las Vegas all weekend. I hadn't answered out of laziness… oh my. Sorry to make you worry, you are not a pest at all!


	8. Clichéd Charm

Extract information from Ava. It was one of the simplest missions ever delegated to him, yet Reno found himself on an impossibly pointed tip of a sword. One wrong move and he would be paying dearly. On one hand, if he failed to find the right information in time, he would likely pay with the lives of his colleagues. On the other, if he was barking up the wrong tree, which he doubted but was still a possibility, the results could be exactly the same. His attention would be distracted from the real attacker, thus leaving them all vulnerable.

On the tip of a sword, that summed up the situation well. The best course of action would be one in which the fallout was minimized. Even if Slater wasn't behind the attacks, they would need to find such information quickly. If they came to the conclusion without wasting time, it would be far less likely to give the real attacker time to take advantage of their distraction. That settled his plan of action. He would have no choice but to reveal his suspicions to Ava and gain her cooperation. She would know Slater better than most, and perhaps her insight would help the case. Elena would be proud. Normally, he did not think such decisions through quite so thoroughly. However, this situation was far more important than a crime lord getting out of hand or a rebel faction attempting to blow up reactors. This meant the very existence of Shin-Ra. The existence of Rufus, Reeve, Rude, Tseng, Elena, himself and now Ava, and all this rested on his shoulders. About time he stepped up to the plate.

Around the hall, he inspected the door that hid the meeting from the world. A closer listen provided him with the notion that the meeting was still underway. He would have a bit of time to manipulate this situation. Manipulation was definitely in his tool box of skills. With a light swagger, he trailed into the room where he'd left Ava. She was sitting in the same position, toying with her cell phone in her hands, perhaps the perfect opportunity to interject some comments about Slater. All he could hope is that she was loyal to her job and would not divulge such information to her fiancé.

"Did he call?" Reno asked, moving from the doorway to sit across from Ava.

"Yep," she nodded, the corners of her mouth tugging downward.

"Still being an ass?" he asked, not quite concerned with the actual answer, but that was part of the act.

"Of course. Get this, he's having a party with only close friends and whatnot. He actually expected me to drop everything and rush over there to decorate his arm and smile at his dip shit friends," she said, nearly laughing.

"Smooth," he remarked. "So will your pops be going?" He hoped she would answer; the wheels in that scheming mind of his were turning on this party idea.

"No. Nor will Slater's father. Only his seedy friends from Edge and Junon and whomever they bring along," she answered.

"I have to be straight with you, Ava." The look on his face concerned Ava quite a bit, almost as if he were about to tell her something compromising. "We've been looking into Slater's files. He's a fucking suspect."

"You suspect him in the attacks? Why, exactly?" she asked, looking anything but surprised.

"The way he tracked you down, the bad blood, the resources he has access to… this list is pretty damn long."

"I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of him and linked him with what has been going on. I can't say that I'm surprised. I figured after he showed up with such contempt in his eyes, he'd be drawing suspicion. I wonder why he risked that…"

"Either he's obsessed with you enough to risk anything, or he's playing a game."

"I'm sure it's the latter," she said with a distant smirk. "You want information on him beyond his case file. Perhaps you'd like me to tell you any reasons not to suspect him, as well?"

"You took the words right outta my mouth," he answered.

"Well, the only reason not to suspect him, at least that I can think of is… chance. There's always that slim possibility it isn't whom you suspect. I can't imagine after fighting so hard to keep his father out of this war that he would—" she paused and lowered her eyes, thoughts crashing in her mind all at once. "It makes sense. I'd be willing to bet he is attempting one of two things. Either he's trying to save his father from falling back into hatred by eliminating the threat, or he is being controlled _by_ his father. The first seems more like him, but I really can't be sure. I can't believe I was so blind as to miss this… Reno," she finished, touching a finger to her temple in frustration.

"Why would you want to suspect the person you're supposed to be spending the rest of your life with?" The point was very true, although as the words left his mouth in all their sentimental splendor, he felt the taste of iron and a tinge of disgust. Many women often overlooked the sins of men in the name of love. For the first time, he realized exactly why Rufus had turned a blind eye to relationships within the workplace while being very skeptical of relationships people outside Shin-Ra. Other companies were opposite, and frowned upon fraternizing with business associates. Being blinded to one's faults simply because of love was absolutely homicidal. And usually those within Shin-Ra could be trusted.

"It is beautifully lethal, isn't it?" she mused, realizing her own mistakes. She should have thought of it, before Reno. Just how would this affect her standing with Rufus? She had the thought in the back of her mind, but voicing her suspicion proved to be the hardest part. "I can honestly say he's capable of all this. When he gets something in his head, it becomes his oxygen. He obsesses over things, and he'd never give up. That's why—" she paused, almost eating her words.

"That's why what?" he asked, cocking a brow.

"That's why we're together, basically. We had something once, we were unstoppable. The feeling was amazing… but then the politics of his family became involved, and the feelings began to fade. We got engaged anyhow, but I feel like it's meant to be more of a business arrangement than a marriage."

"Yeah…" he resisted the urge to tell her how ridiculous that sounded. Being committed simply for the sake of politics? Please.

"I guess I'm off topic," she said with a light laugh.

"Ya think?" he said with a bit of sarcasm.

His dismissive attitude reminded Ava of exactly who she was speaking with. She was quite sure he didn't want a history of the relationship she and Slater shared. "Back on topic, I think it's quite possible that he has a hand in this. But how are you going to figure that out? I know for a fact that his record is spotless."

"We need to get an inside look," he said. As soon as the words left his lips, he realized precisely _how_ they would get that inside look. "We go undercover. You know the layout of his villa, right?"

"Yes, but you aren't suggesti—"

"That we attend the party undercover and do a little _research_." He gave a suave gesture, realizing the simple brilliance of his plan.

"That'll never work!" Ava exclaimed.

"Why the hell not?" he questioned, looking rather displeased with her doubt.

"You think he won't recognize me beneath a change of clothes and a wig? We'll be caught in seconds," she snapped her finger as if to signify how quickly they would be found out.

"This is _my_ plan. I don't do half-ass scheming, McCall. Have you seen what the so-called makeup artists at Shin-Ra are capable of? They could make you look like a total stranger," he boasted.

"So say we successfully disguise ourselves. We still have the problem of getting in. How do you suggest we accomplish that?"

"We'll worry about that when we get there," he said, rising to his feet.

"You can't be serious…?" she asked, wide eyed and nearly laughing.

"As a fuckin' heart attack, babe." A suave grin perched along with an ever conceited expression.

"Holy hell. What am I thinking? If I'm not loyal even to my fiancé then where… where do my loyalties lie?"

"Rethink that one a minute…" he said, rolling his eyes.

"I know, Reno. Shin-Ra… but it seems so scandalous to back-stab the person I'm supposed to marry."

"If he's behind this shit, back-stabbing will be the least of his worries. And if he is, you should feel nothing for him."

Was it really so simple? The direness of the situation hit Ava at once, making her feel sick to her stomach. In the span of an hour, she'd gone from a relatively normal life to some confusing life of betrayal and webs weaved so intricately that none of a million spiders could cross. Welcome to Shin-Ra.

"You're right. The party isn't until Wednesday night, so we've a whole day and a half to prepare… that's comforting" She opted to ignore the faint tremor that rocked her spine beneath the cool façade she wore.

"I haven't been undercover in a while, this is gonna be fuckin' fun." With that, he brushed his hair back and strode toward the door where he peeked around the corner impatiently. If they were to actually put this plan to action, they would need Rufus and Tseng's cooperation.

While Reno went to explain his devious plans to Tseng, Ava sat in the silence of the room. The feeling that swelled in her was utterly disconnected. Life was changing, and she would need to change with it or be left in the dust. If Slater really was behind the attacks, she would surely witness his demise. So much for the security she'd found in her arranged future. One question floated in her mind: how could she possibly have such horrid taste in men?

…

After what seemed an eternity of daylight, the sun slowly began to descend to the western expanse of the sky. Tseng had just flipped his cell phone across the room in frustration, though his face showed no emotion. Carefully, he laced his fingers together and rested them in his lap. He was downright boiling.

Why had Reno's plan frustrated him so? It was no more dangerous than anything they'd done before, but he hated the idea of sending Reno and the rookie into such an explosive situation on such little evidence. Reno had been as argumentative as ever, and his resistance to the word 'no' kept Tseng on his toes throughout the conversation. They needed more evidence, and more time. If something happened because the situation hadn't been thought through, it would hang over him like a blanket of shame. Then again, if they were to hesitate and Slater made another move, the guilt would be immeasurable. If there was one thing to be said about Reno's impatience, it was that the trait provided views more analytical minds would never consider. But that was precisely the problem these days: analytical minds. Tseng's mind worked constant overtime, and perhaps it was time he trusted his instincts and Reno's, for that matter.

The heat pent up in his mind began to dissipate, but the sight through the bedroom door helped to further calm him. Elena had finally finished changing from her uniform, adorning a slight black camisole and thinly striped shorts in exchange. She usually favoured pajamas rather than clothing when in the privacy of their apartment. They'd moved in together not three months ago. The events of Kadaj and his brothers had been over a short time when he and Elena finally gave in to desire. Things had escalated since, and one week she began staying every night. Her transition into living with him went without words. Neither suggested it, she because she was avoiding rejection and he because of his passive-aggressive nature. Now that she had been here every night since, he couldn't quite imagine the apartment without her presence. Though she was not one to cook gourmet meals and dote on his every need, she surprised him with nurturing and care. And then there was her wild nature hidden well beneath dormant brown eyes. To say she was amazing behind closed doors would be a grave understatement.

"You look tense," she said in a husky sort of pitch.

"That was Reno…"

"I figured, you never strain your voice with anyone else. What was wrong?" she asked, moving close and brushing her fingers down his back. Her true concern comforted him as it shone in her doe-like eyes.

"Nothing at all was wrong. Reno called with a plan. One of those schemes he spawns on a whim. He wants to go into Slater's villa undercover to investigate and see if he can find concrete evidence that links to the attacks," he paused, watching Elena's eyes.

"Not unlike investigations we've done in the past. Why is this any different?"

"In those cases, we had a bit more to run off. Here, I feel it is like diving into a hole blind. I've no idea whether there is a bottom, and if so, whether it's water or rock." Tseng shifted on the couch, looping an arm around one of Elena's thighs and pulling her close.

"I see what you mean. Reno can handle it though, Tseng. You know he can," she said while caressing his head as it lay against her stomach.

"I'm not as much worried about Reno as I am Ava. Usually we try to test the waters before sending a rookie in on such a mission." The camisole smelled of roses, and for a moment he attempted to bury his thoughts in her scent.

"I know, I remember my first missions were quite a breeze. But Ava will do fine. Especially under Reno. I know that sounds odd to say, but he really knows what he's doing. She'll pick up on that and follow in the confidence."

"It is especially odd coming from you. When did you grow such a soft spot for Reno?" The question was truly quite honest. Ever since she and Tseng had been kidnapped, Elena had begun to change. She was still impetuous as ever, but she held a sense of maturity about her that offered a feminine grace. When they finally succumb to temptation with one another, she took on a new light. If anything, she was kinder, though she could still dish Reno a hard time.

"I don't know… disturbing, isn't it?" she said, feigning a scoff.

"Very."

"So did you already give Reno the go ahead?"

"I did. Though now, I'm glad that I did." He lifted the hem of the camisole and placed a delicate kiss on her skin. She had really been his voice of reason when analysis ran rampant in his mind. The relationship meant much to him and it seemed that despite their opposite personalities, they were perfectly matched.

"And we'll have to go to Rufus?" she asked, cocking a brow.

"Well, for the time that Ava and Reno are traveling and working the mission. I'm sending Rude along with you, but I'll be staying here."

"Oh," she paused, displaying a little disappointment. "I won't miss you one bit."

"Oh really?" he asked, looking rather unconvinced.

…

The meeting in Wutai had ended, and the journey began again. The helicopter was waiting when they arrived, and Reno busied himself with working up how he'd introduce his scheme. By the time Reno had actually finished telling Rufus of his plan, he'd navigated the helicopter all the way to Rocket Town. Rufus had explained that an interested party had requested a meeting there, and Reno was more than disappointed. The little town was boring. More so than many of the other small towns; he always preferred Midgar and Junon to anything. They'd only be there for one night, and that was quite long enough.

"I hope this plan of yours is successful," Rufus stated, breaking the silence that had wrapped the helicopter since their destination was learned.

"It will be," Reno assured.

"Ah, there's the helipad," Reeve said, sounding relieved to see that ground was approaching.

The helipad was indeed only a little ways off, adjacent to the launch pad for purposes Reno guessed to be the delivery of goods and astronauts. Of course, that was before the program was all but abandoned. The sun was but a sliver of orange above the hills, but that was perfect. That meant even less time spent in Rocket Town.

Reno piloted the helicopter to another safe landing, and assisted in getting their things out and ready to travel. The motel was nothing shy of a large home turned into a business. When they arrived before the ragged building, Reno found a rather distinct frown on his lips. There would be no comfort in this place. The door opened with a horrendous squeak, stinging the ears of anyone within a mile. The musty smell burst forth, offending his nose. The dim chandelier above the foyer provided enough light to make a path across to the front desk without tripping, but no more.

Rufus approached the front desk, a distasteful glance given to the clerk. The young woman looked like a rag-doll trying to play the part of a princess. What a combination. He reserved two rooms, as they had only two vacancies, and led the way upstairs to the designated rooms. The four pooled in the hallway, peering at one another in curiosity.

"I guess considering the vacancies and set up, Reeve and I will take one room while the two of you take the other," Rufus instructed, glancing at Reno.

"And what are we to do for the remainder of the evening?" Ava asked, rather curious given the early evening time.

"Reeve and I are going to dinner to discuss a few things, the two of you can tag along or whatever. The restaurant is just next door, we should be okay without your presence," Rufus replied.

"In that case…" Reno grabbed his canvas bag and turned for the door, using the bronze key to gain entrance to the room opposite the hall from where he supposed Rufus would want to stay given his proximity to the door.

With the door opened to reveal quite the odd motel room, Reno shot a wink back at the three in the hall and disappeared into the expanse of green paisley walls. Ava politely took her leave, opting to abandon Reeve and Rufus to their own for the evening. The idea of a noisy restaurant did not sound appealing, nor did listening to the business banter likely to surface at the table.

Just as she closed the door, a rather disturbing squeak sounded from the bedsprings as Reno sat against the mattress. A look of mischief crossed his face, a look that made Ava want to turn and flee the room. Without missing a beat, he began to move his weight just so, causing the springs to wail their protest loudly enough to wake the entire motel. Seconds after the mattress serenade began, he took the liberty of yelling her name in quite the cheesy insinuation.

"Oooh Ava!" he roared, sounding desperately passionate.

Ava was positive that each and every guest had overheard the entire chorus of rantings he bellowed out in the minute that passed until her face grew so red she imagined it to look like a tomato. It was assuredly ridiculous to think Rufus and Reeve would believe that she and Reno would go at it the instant after she closed the door, but their neighbors certainly did not know any better. Despite the fact, she couldn't help but feel the urge to giggle when his noisy rant faded and he sat with a cocky grin, just staring at her. He was outrageously annoying and immature at times, but somehow in the light of cobwebs and green shag carpet, she found him hilarious. Reno really was complicated, despite his simple outer layers. At first glance, one might assume him cocky, cold hearted, troubled and comedic. In actuality, he seemed all of those with a little depth and intelligence. A cautious person would see the more evil side buried beneath the comedy he sought to exert. Perhaps he had a heart only for things he cared for? Or was it that he did feel guilt, but hid it well beneath the layers of humor?

"Well, I'm glad you got that out of your system," she said, feeling the blush creep out of her skin as quickly as it came.

"Damn… no one could get away with having sex in a bed like this." As if to emphasize his statement, he provided another squeak by moving into the mattress.

"Perhaps some find the idea that people are listening to be stimulating?"

"Stimulating? Can'tcha just say hot or erotic or something a little less… prude?" he laughed, clearly amused by her desire to come off as such the professional.

"You're impossible," she said, throwing an arm out dramatically.

"And _you're_ a prude," he teased.

"If you only knew…" she trailed off, biting her tongue to keep from revealing such information to him. There was no need to get defensive over childish antics.

"Whatever. You're prude until you prove me wrong…" he shook his head, glancing over at the ancient oak chair in the corner. His eyes wandered the room, finding a dresser and small nightstand. The bathroom branched off, and the closet stood beside the bathroom… but something was missing. The prude would have to be a little daring. "There's only one bed."

"So I've noticed," she sighed and observed the furniture. "You're probably perfectly used to sleeping on the floor, aren't you?"

An incredulous scoff wiped the smile off Ava's lips, "No way. I'm not sleeping on _that _carpet. Who knows what the fuck is hidden in there…" he said, glancing at the carpet in disgust.

"Well, we're in quite a predicament then…" A brow rose, her lips pursed to avoid smiling. What could possibly be funny about sharing a ragged bed with a womanizer? She hadn't a clue, but nevertheless she was hopelessly amused by the situation.

…

Rufus quickly finished the final bite of his dinner, setting the silver fork down on his napkin. Despite the quaint appearance of the restaurant, the food was delicious. Though he attempted to distract himself from the mystery of the black haired creature alone in a corner, he found his eyes locked on the pout of her lips once again. Reeve followed his gaze, all too aware of his staring for the nth time since they arrived.

"Would you just go and talk to her if you're so interested?" Reeve whispered, watching the smirk Rufus formed.

"I think I will," he said.

"Be my guest. I'll have a drink," Reeve said, waving over the waitress as Rufus began to approach his prey. It was rare that a woman ever filled the standards Rufus kept, and when one came along who at least met the physical standards, Rufus was quick to flirt.

A hand swept back through blonde hair, all but a few strands heeding the instruction. With a cool confidence, he brought even steps to this woman's table. Her black hair was like long silk, cascading to an end near her lower back. Though Rufus was more concerned with the delicate break of her pale features and deep eyes, he found the aura she held about her fascinating. This woman was clearly Wutainese, and quite alluring. He touched the top of the unoccupied table, giving little thought to what a woman such as she would be doing in a Rocket Town restaurant.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the chair as her focus shifted to him.

"Certainly," she replied, offering a faint smile as he sunk into the chair.

"Do you enjoy dining alone?" he questioned.

"Not usually, but I am traveling alone."

"How lonely," he exaggerated.

"Excruciatingly so." She elegantly swept her hair away, settling her posture while holding his eyes.

"Forgive me, but I would be a fool not to mention that you are impeccably beautiful." As the words flowed, he leaned closer to observe her with a debonair smile.

The woman feigned a sweet blush, shifting as if to prove her shyness. "Thank you, my dear stranger."

"Please, call me Rufus. And what might I call you?"

"Akina will be fine," she said with a slight bow.

"Ah, the spring flower, a fitting name." He swept her hand from the table, applying a light kiss to the tops of her knuckles.

"Perhaps…"

Across the room, Reeve watched with faint dissatisfaction. This strange woman was too familiar. He felt as though he'd seen her somewhere, and he was sure it was recent. In fact, he thought he'd seen her in Wutai. This would be no surprise, given her supposed heritage, but the idea that she had come to Rocket Town at the same time after being in Wutai was too much a coincidence. Nonetheless, sitting her watching Rufus lay on his thick, clichéd charm was not in his to-do list. He paid his due, and excused himself from the table, heading through the door.

Rufus distracted himself with Reeve's exit a short time, before glancing back at Akina. She took notice of his gaze, "A partner of yours?"

"Reeve, yes. He tends to turn in early, don't mind him," Rufus explained.

"So then I would not be welcome to return with you?" she asked, giving the quite the sultry look.

"So you are thinking as I am…" he laughed ever so slightly.

"How could I not? Perhaps you would like to come to my ro—" she began to offer, but was interrupted by the crash of a hand thumping down upon the table.

"Rufus Shinra… well, well," came the drunken slur of a blonde man. Akina observed his ruffled appearance; shabby stubble occupying his jaw along with pilot's goggles atop his head. This man was in his thirties, for certain, and obviously a man of no refinement.

"Cid Highwind," Rufus scowled, glaring down the pilot.

"What in the fucking hell are you doing here?" Cid grumbled, glancing at Akina for only a moment.

"I am enjoying a conversation with a lovely young woman. A conversation _you_ are interrupting. Now, if you don't mind—" Rufus began.

"Actually, I do fucking mind. Get'yer sleazy ass out of Rocket Town," Cid prompted, crossing muscular arms over his chest.

"I'll be gone tomorrow, Cid."

"Tomorrow ain't good enough. _Now_," Cid boomed.

It was clear the conversation was about to get physical. Cid was belligerently drunk, and had long forgotten the fact that he had no reason to come after Rufus. Perhaps, in his mind, he was reliving the glory days. When Rufus refused to move, Cid took him by the collar of his immaculate white suit and lifted him roughly from the chair. With a strong arm, he swung him around and tossed him toward the bar in a crash of splintering wood and shattering glass. Rufus was glaring from his throne of massacred furniture when Akina sheepishly stood and slipped out unnoticed, listening to the chorus of a brawl.

Just outside Akina stumbled over a curb when she was forced to duck out of the way as the man she knew to be Reeve walked perilously close. Behind him, a redhead and a brunette dressed in black suits flanked the path. As a heavy crash sounded from inside the bar, the three began to run and Akina dipped around a dark corner. She opened her clenched hand, gazing upon the treasure hidden in her palm. _At least I accomplished my goal,_ she thought with a sly smile.

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Oh, Cid… always getting into trouble with that mouth and those alcoholic tendencies. Forgive the silliness of this chapter :) Next up, chapter nine!

To publicly answer Nentikobe's observation that Reno is not over-the-top zaney in this fiction (for anyone wondering): I think Reno is quite different than some perceive him to be. I think there is a darkness inside that he hides with humor and whatnot, but I don't believe him to be slightly on the dumb side or immature side just because of that comedic attitude. I think he's well rounded, more so than we can see through his actions. As for what goes through his mind, one author's guess is as good as the next. I do think he is cocky and rude, sometimes. I do think he can be very funny, and sometimes even a little silly. I think he likes his women and liquor, but I also think he has a side that is more serious (as observed a bit in the first part of the chapter). Though he may get annoyed with Rufus and Elena, I think he has a lot of respect there as well. Loyal would fit, too. I feel he would rise above in a crisis and go to any lengths for his purpose, otherwise… why would he be second in command? I really think he likes to give people a run for their money, though. Teasing and whatnot seem to fit him well. Hence his games of embarrassing Elena and Ava (as demonstrated in the later pieces of this chapter).


	9. Subtleties

Reeve was the first through the door, eyes wide with the vision of Cid and Rufus having their little scuff. Leave Rufus with a woman, find Rufus in a fight. Something was missing in the equation. In his momentary hesitation, Reno breezed past him and skillfully pinned Cid back from Rufus. It all really happened in the blink of an eye, but Cid managed to give Reno a good, hard elbow. The shot elicited a groan from the redhead, and he faltered slightly.

Clearly, Cid would not play nice. Rather than break up the fight, Reno found it necessary to provide a hard shove to the drunk. In his stupor, Cid fell back against a chair and sat hard. Reno moved in, his face nearing Cid's as he spoke a quick insult, though it seemed in good humor. "Cid, ya old bastard… would you just calm the fuck down?" The tone was nothing overly threatening. It was common knowledge that Cid was an angry drunk. They'd been through this dance before, but Rufus had yet to become the target of Cid's rage.

Blinking incredulously, Cid grunted and gave a grin. "Old?" he barked. Oh, for the love of Holy. That would have been the moment the tanned skin of his cheeks began to glow red. This wasn't embarrassment, this was anger. Normally, such a comment would not insult him so, but then again, alcohol worked wonders on a soul.

As Cid was aiming to deal another blow, Ava circled Reno and quickly interceded. "Yes, he means wise and distinguished. And quite handsome," she put on her best smile. She wasn't really much of a charming lady, but perhaps with the aid of alcohol, he would buy this little charade.

"That so?" Cid seemed to beam with the compliment. Drunks were so easily distracted.

"Complete, honest truth," she nodded discreetly at Reno. He took the cue and began to slip away, hoping to avoid the show and dance of more commotion than had already been stirred. The way the waiters were glaring said enough.

"Well, ain't that sweet. But Reno's not my type," Cid remarked with quite the grin.

"Oh… is that so?" she replied, sighing. He was hopelessly drunk. Thankfully, drunk enough not to notice Reno, Rufus and Reeve making a clean break. That was enough to satisfy her. A scene would not do well for their meetings and negotiations.

"'Sides, I got a woman," he boasted.

"Well, that's nice. Why don't you head home, then? I'm sure she misses you." Ava felt confident that the worst was put behind that grin he wore, so she turned to make her exit. That could have been some mess.

…

"The hell was that all about?" Reno queried as they waited outside the restaurant.

"I don't know, I didn't even know he was there. Besides, I thought that you'd formed some kind of relationship with his friends," Rufus answered.

"He's drunk. That's Cid," Reno stated simply.

"Well done, got us out of that without having to injure someone," Reeve stated, the first to notice Ava as she moved up beside them.

"I don't think that was the most skillful option. Apparently, he thought Reno was making a pass at him," she said with a light laugh.

"Well that's great…" Reno shook his head, quite honestly wanting to return to the room and get some sleep. It was late, and he was sure they'd be up early. Waking up was always difficult enough, never mind if he didn't happen to get his eight hours.

"How did you all end up at the restaurant anyhow?" Rufus asked with raised brows.

"I was concerned. That woman seemed oddly familiar, as if she may have been in Wutai," Reeve answered.

"Well that would make sense. She is from Wutai, you know." Rufus yawned quite tiredly after replying, idly crossing his arms. "Besides, she left when Cid went wild. Can we perhaps go back to the inn? I'd like to sleep."

"Best idea I've heard all day," Reno added while turning to head for the comfort of paisley walls and shag carpet.

…

Once back in the halls of the motel, the plans were set for an ungodly hour of the morning, Reno promptly retreated to the room he and Ava were to share for the night. The light flickered several times before actually popping to life and bathing the green room in a yellow glow. The décor was distasteful, but he felt as though it brought back memories of what little childhood he had.

With a huff, he fell onto the starched comforter. The mattress was not the most pleasant he'd slept on, but it would do just fine. But that awful musty smell draped over the covers was another story. With a grimace, he rolled onto his back and stared at the popcorn ceiling.

When the door squeaked wider and finally closed, he propped himself against the pillows and found Ava leaning back on the wall with an inquisitive stare. She was probably wondering how he'd make her evening difficult. No doubt she'd heard about the time he and Rude had gone in on some fun while Elena was sleeping. It was nothing dirty, just a bit of a practical joke. Though, he hadn't yet decided whether he felt like having any fun at Ava's expense.

"You sleeping like that?" he asked, absently drumming his fingers against the comforter.

Ava didn't respond, simply began to dig through her open case for a pair of pajamas. Once she settled on a wad of cotton and disappeared into the bathroom, he took his time rolling from the bed lazily and went to the task of pulling back the sheets. There were four pillows, and he never really cared for the damn things anyway. Grabbing bits of the case, he flung one of the pillows onto the floor. The other found wings as it flew across the room and nailed the opening bathroom door with a fluff of white. With her hand frozen on the door knob, Ava stared with a crooked smile.

"You missed," she quickly pointed out.

"That's not the point," he countered. He'd predicted her exit from the bathroom, partly credited to the shrill turn of the old knob.

"Well, you still missed." With that, she bent to pick up the slumped carcass of the pillow. Reno quite shamelessly took advantage of the view provided by the white cotton shorts, and she was no fool to notice this as she rose with the pillow in hand. One brow arched, a look of near embarrassment claiming her eyes for all of three seconds before the pillow was harshly thrown in his direction.

"Hey now, play nice," he urged while dodging the oncoming object.

"You're not," she retorted as she came around the opposite side of the bed.

"Oh I'm not? I miss you on purpose and I'm not playing nice?" he crossed his arms, feigning disbelief.

"So now you missed on purpose…" she considered that for a moment before laughing boldly at the idea while comfortably sitting down on the bed.

"The hell is funny about that?"

Before she had even noticed a move, he'd grabbed the pillow beside her and thwacked it across her side, nearly displacing her enough to knock her off the bed. Wisps of chestnut flew in the wake of the pillow and flopped listlessly on the opposite side of her head, waving in protest. A faint gasp hitched her breath, but she quickly recovered and tossed him a glare.

"That was rude," she practically growled. He could not have foretold the next move as she quickly whipped the pillow from behind her back and brought the weight of her body behind it until it smacked him across the chest with force. He tumbled backward and met the wall with a thud, the pillow sliding lifelessly down his legs and slumping on the floor.

"And that was polite?" he asked, quickly shedding his jacket and tossing it onto one of the wooden chairs accompanying the table in the corner.

"You deserved that," she boasted, looking quite proud as she sat on the bed.

"I suppose I did," he admitted, closing the short distance between the wall and the bed. "But you know…" he began, lifting the pillow she'd slammed into him with a smirk. The pause he took had her practically dancing with anticipation, but once she was interested enough in whatever he was plotting, he set the pillow against the headboard and yawned. "I'm pretty tired. Maybe we'll finish that up some other time."

"Quitter," she remarked, adjusting the pillow he'd thrown until it lodged behind her.

"I'll get'cha back… just wait," he gave her an insatiable grin and sauntered off to the bathroom.

She was surely annoyed with the unknown threat, for the second he shut the bathroom door she huffed in frustration. Reno quickly rinsed his face and removed the remaining articles of clothing. A pair of cotton pants replaced his usual attire, no shirt. He was well aware of the implications, but that was a part of the game. And that's what this was, wasn't it? There was always some ulterior motive.

When he emerged from the dull bathroom, he glanced over toward the waiting brunette as she worked under the covers, devious eyes rested on him as if expecting some sort of trick. He switched off the light, leaving the room palely lit by the moonlight flooding through the thin curtains.

The sheets were softer than he'd assumed as he slid between them, settling into the stiff posture of the mattress. The bed was small, slightly larger than a twin. That, however, was the beginning of his problems. As he attempted to get comfortable beneath the covers, he moved his hand down the mattress and idly caught the smooth flesh of Ava's thigh.

A sharp gasp broke the silence as she quickly withdrew her leg and shrunk back into the bed. The behaviour nearly caused him to laugh, but he opted to say "Relax, I wasn't tryin' to touch you."

Though, for a moment, he wished he'd the opportunity to run his fingers down her thigh once again. Her skin was warm, human. He never got tired of the feeling that came from touching a woman. This was shaky ground, if he'd ever known it. A delicate matter, all too complicated and easier left alone. With an invisible grin, he rolled over and closed his eyes, his focus on falling asleep.

Several hours later, any sort of real sleep eluded him. There were moments where he drifted into unconsciousness, but never for more than twenty minutes at a time. Part of that could be blamed on the horrendous light the curtains let in, and he was sick of sleeping on his left side. The covers tangled slightly as he angrily rolled onto his right side, nearly banging his nose against Ava's forehead. The shift of the mattress caused interruption in the stability of her breathing, and she sounded a sleepy little whimper. Inhaling a deep breath, he moved back as much as the mattress would allow and made another attempt at sleep.

The following time he came into coherence, something heavy was draped across his thigh and pressure had seeped onto his chest. The heat beneath the covers was annoying, and he shifted uncomfortably. That's when the weight on his thigh moved, nearly startling him as he realized the thing on his leg was Ava's hand and lower arm. That made the pressure against his chest her forehead. Well, that was certainly an odd predicament. If she were to wake up, she'd surely blame him for where her hands were.

Carefully, he reached down and began to lift her fingers away from his thigh. The move was unsuccessful as she squirmed, and caused him to drop her hand for fear that she might come awake. Though, the fear wasn't quite what had him paralyzed. When she squirmed again, her fingers graced a spot he was sure she'd not meant to find. Nevertheless, he grunted at the contact and quickly clenched his eyes shut. What was that old saying_? Picture an old_—the thought was quickly interrupted when her fingers tensed against the inside of his thigh. And that was enough. He quickly moved her back across the bed and feigned sleep, just incase she happened to rouse from slumber. Putting the incident aside when she didn't awaken, he buried his head in the pillow and finally managed to fall asleep.

He did not stir again until the motel phone blared from the nightstand. An indecent little noise Rufus had no doubt inspired. With a sigh, he reached over and found the white plastic with heavy fingers. Tugging the phone from the cradle, he brought it to his ear, allowing the cord to drape across the length between the bed and nightstand.

"Hello?" his voice cracked in nauseating drowsiness.

"Good morning! This is just your five o'clock wake up call!" The shrill, too-ecstatic voice came pounding into his ears, surely to blame for any headache he might suffer later in the day. He snarled at the inhuman happiness and slammed the phone back in the cradle without a word.

"Holy shit," he grumbled, rubbing his palms hard against his face. The tips of his fingers pushed his eyes back open, but his lids felt as if they were sewn to the flesh beneath. This was terribly wrong. Nevertheless, they were expected to follow orders. With a sigh, he rolled to face Ava. Amazingly, the woman was still asleep after all the noise and he couldn't help but recall the last encounter he'd had with her.

Slowly, her lashes began to flutter until thin flesh parted to reveal cobalt depths. She looked at him as if she'd no recollection of where she was, but a smirk tugged the corner of her lips. "Looks like you behaved," she said sleepily.

"And you did not," he added with a grin.

"What?" To this, her eyes widened substantially, her smirk fading and whatever peacefulness had dominated her eyes fled quickly.

"Oh, nothing." Satisfied with the idea of letting her figure that one out, he disentangled from the sheets and crawled out of the bed. Her eyes followed him all the way to the bathroom, but he paid her no mind.

Redressing was a bitter chore as he worked to wake himself. He'd surely need a mug of pitch black coffee to settle this score. Reno was by no means a morning person, and that wasn't likely to change any time soon. Once the three piece uniform was adjusted to put on the appearance that he was half-interested in what they were doing today, he exited the bathroom to find Ava fully dressed, save for the blazer belonging to her suit. How lucky that he did not walk out on her—note the sarcasm he'd care to interject.

However, her hair was a tad disheveled from all that fidgeting she did throughout the night, which brought a justified snicker from him. She only glared at him and went to the now free bathroom to smooth things over with that mop of brunette hair.

Not two minutes later, a knock came at the door, followed by Reeve's voice. "Are you ready?" he called out. Reno shook his head, for a moment wondering why Reeve had even agreed to come along. _Oh, that's right… WRO needed funding_! Funny how someone might disapprove of a company until their financial assistance comes into play. And Rufus had his reasons for seeking to offer such financial assistance to Reeve. What better way to 'rebuild' the planet and in turn put power behind your name.

"Be out in a sec," Reno replied as he zipped the case from side to side.

Ava quickly tossed her things in her suitcase and threw on her blazer. The upswept ponytail bounced as she threw the case over her shoulder and glanced back at him. Her hair must have been unmanageable.

"Come on," she nodded and headed through the door, and he followed carrying his things.

…

This Rocket Town meeting had not worn on quite as long as the previous in Wutai. For that, Reno was grateful. Presently, he was even more grateful that they were meeting Rude and Elena in Nibelheim. The trip over had brought a lot to mind, and he was interested to see Rude. The image of Rude tied to strange medical machinery was not something he cared to revisit, ever again.

Upon arrival, they found Rude and Elena near the run down safe house Rufus had invested in not so long ago. The manor was not a place anyone cared to visit, especially with all the musty secrets hidden beneath rotten floorboards. The streets, if you could call them that, were deserted and quiet, as could be expected.

Elena and Ava had taken to one of the couches, talking quietly over steaming mugs of tea. Reeve was busily working on something to do with the imaging involved in his latest experiments with Cait Sith. Rufus had gone in to be with his laptop, leaving Rude and Reno to discuss matters amongst themselves.

"Is there a scar?" Reno asked, watching the shadow of Rude's eyes beneath the dark glasses.

"There is now. It'll take a while to fade," Rude replied, rather hesitant to talk about the incident. Something about the shooting made him feel vulnerable, perhaps even a tinge of failure since he'd been the only one shot thus far. Not that he wanted anyone else to be injured.

"Right," Reno averted his eyes, noticing the threads of carpeting spun throughout the floor. "We'll fucking get him, I'll make sure of it."

"I'd like to be there," Rude nodded, thinking aloud.

"I doubt we'll move on him in Junon. I'll let you do the honors if it comes down to it." Reno gave a smirk to this. It would surely be justified for Rude to put the bullet through this guy's head. Even if they didn't get to kill him, surely they'd allow Rude to melt the key to Slater's cell.

"Thanks," Rude said with an almost-smile.

It was then Reno noticed Rufus moving in with two younger women and an even younger male. The heavy metal cases they carried at their sides were reason enough for him to suspect his make-up artists had arrived. A strange thought for him.

"Reno, Ava," Rufus called, waiting for their attention to drift toward him. "Your crew is here. I guess you can get ready tomorrow, unless you think starting this evening will help."

Ava took on a strange expression, looking down at her hands and arms as though nervous about something. With a long sigh, she set her mug down and rose from the couch. "I think my skin will give me away," she mentioned. Knowing someone so intimately meant they knew of scars and characteristics.

That was the first time Reno had ever really paid attention to her skin, but he noticed that it was almost rough looking. He'd assumed she was the feminine sort who bathed in lotion before going to bed, but apparently she was not. Her complexion was also unique, with a healthy glow that rested just between shades of gold and white.

"We can give you a finer, more pale complexion that'll last a couple of days," the first woman spoke up with a high pitched tone.

"That'd work, can you make it realistic?" Ava asked, approaching the artist.

"Yeah, it's the best on the market. I can also work on those calluses, as well," the second woman replied, lifting Ava's right hand and inspecting the wear that was standard to training.

"That's fine." The deep breath and nod seemed a bit nervous, but then again, who wanted to be painted in white make-up and body butter?

"We should start on that tonight, it might take a while." The two women took a hold of Ava and headed for one of the rooms.

"I can't miss this," Elena nearly laughed and followed the male assistant into the room.

"Women." Reno shook his head and stretched absently.

"Every little bit helps," Rude countered. Undercover missions were sensitive subjects, and the perfect level of disguise would be required if they were to succeed in a compound with several body guards and many other dangers.

As Reno was grabbing for the remote to switch on the television, one of the artists came out with a black apron on. "Actually, we're going to need you," she said, smiling at Reno. The smile made him apprehensive, something was definitely up.

"What the hell for?" Reno asked, not moving from the chair.

"Well, there are some things we'll need to do." With that, the woman gave an undeniable smirk. There was no question that he was in for some kind of freakish treatment.

"Uh… Rude?" Reno asked, avoiding the woman's gaze.

"Hey, it was your idea," Rude lifted his hands as if to express his guiltlessness, and even urged Reno to go along with a nod of his bald head.

"Fuuuuck," he drawled, almost whined. They'd better not cut his hair.

Beyond the door, he found Elena standing with crossed arms. Ava was beneath the hands of the little male, having some kind of white cream massaged into her arms and legs. This was not going to be fun.

"Come have a seat, Reno." Elena smiled proudly and patted the seat next to her position. This did not look to be going well for him, if Elena was calling the shots, he'd pay dearly.

"I think I'll pass," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Then I'll have to go with Ava tomorrow," Elena sighed longingly, as if feigning disappointment. It was then that it dawned on him. She wanted to go with, and she was trying to dissuade him.

"Not a chance," he remarked, sliding into the chair she'd previously offered.

With a huff, Elena called over one of the women and idly played with a lock of red hair. "Dye it," she demanded.

"Temporary dye…" Reno growled, glaring up at Elena.

"I think you should cut it, too. Can't have this tell tale hair style," she said in a sickeningly sweet tone. For good measure, she fluffed the pony tail and tugged it before joining Ava on the opposite side of the room, where the two shared a small laugh.

"Cut it, and I'll shave your head," Reno threatened, raising his brows and tilting his head.

"We can use a wig, but it won't be as convincing," the woman stated, looking quite unaffected by his antics.

"Do whatever works without cutting or permanently dying," he commanded.

Not two hours later, Reno emerged from the back room to be met with five pairs of eyes all fixated on him. Where a mess of red once stood, dark brown silk cascaded around his shoulders to frame his face. The stylist had managed to tame his bangs until his hair looked a strange combination of Tseng's and Vincent's, with a little more length. The way he shook his head as Elena began to giggle was nothing short of dejected, he really hated the way his hair fell on his shoulders and brushed against his cheeks. Hence the shine he'd taken to wearing a pony tail.

"One more giggle and I'll blow that smug smile off your face," Reno pointed toward Elena, but the threat stood for everyone. Laughing at his hair would only bring trouble.

Without bothering to back up his words, he slunk into one of the bedrooms and slammed the door behind him. It was crystal clear now, what he hated about going undercover. The idiotic hair styles and ridiculous clothing that Elena made sure he wore. Well, there'd be a time for revenge eventually, and he couldn't wait.

…

The morning came far too quickly, and he finally awoke to a pounding on the door. "Get up! You need to finish getting ready," Elena yelled through the door. A glance at the clock on the dresser made him nervous. He'd slept in to eleven, and he still needed to change and finish preparing for their mission. The party wasn't until six, but they'd need to be there early to figure out their means of getting in.

When he broke past the door, he couldn't help but notice the ridiculous mess of midnight that cascaded around Ava's shoulders in some odd shag style. The stylist had evidently done a number on her, as well. The bangs she wore practically meshed with long false eyelashes, and her skin was a deathly shade of delicate white. She was beginning to look like a different person.

"I figured out how to get in, but it could require… some pretty ridiculous stunts," Ava said, ignoring the look he'd given her.

He liked the sound of that. "Such as?"

Elena covered her mouth with her hand and snuck off to join Rude in the corner. Obviously, these ridiculous stunts were more ridiculous than he'd first assumed.

"Well, Slater's into elaborate… things. He almost always hires people to entertain at his parties. I guess the theme at this one is… well, a little risqué." With that, Ava shook her head and averted her eyes.

_What, exactly, is she expecting?_ "Risqué? Meaning… what?" Reno inquired, hiding the devious grin that fought to spread across his lips.

"Nothing too extreme, you'll see." Avoidance, what a sweet idea.

"So we do what?"

"Pretend to be part of the group of 'artists' going in to entertain and break off from there. He's done these kinds of parties before… everyone's dressed the same. I'd say we have a good chance of making it in that way," she said, but her eyes betrayed her. She was visibly nervous about something.

"What kind of man were you with?" Elena chimed in from the corner, obviously not impressed with the morals set in place by Slater.

"I guess I never paid much attention." Ava cast the question away and turned toward the two stylists. "That in mind, I guess we'll need a certain kind of look," she instructed.

This was going to be one interesting night.

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So ends chapter nine. I honestly cannot imagine Reno with brown hair. Just had to get that out-- I thought that'd be better than going blonde or staying red, though. Well, I shall be working on chapter ten soon. Things have been hectic lately, but I just love writing and will continue without a doubt ;) Hope you've enjoyed this little bit. Purple button!

Review Replies:

Mengde: So glad you liked the piece about the bed. I was a little worried about that being over the top, but it seems I did all right there. Cid is one of my favorites, and I just had to throw him in there as a bit of a tool. Hope you liked this chapter, too!

Just Jill: Yes, I thought about that sort of idea for a little while… but this will allow for more interaction and timeline. Glad you liked chapter eight!

Nentikobe: I'm so glad you like my Reno. I sometimes worry about deviating from the common view, but honestly, I can't imagine writing so repetitively. I like this side of Reno. Hm, I was really putting in Tseng and Elena's relationship as a marker that time had passed since the events of AC—and I hadn't planned on having an elaborate courtship, but now I'm thinking that might have been fun. Perhaps I'll have to write a Tselena sometime soon!

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